Sad!Notorious traditional cultural practices in Kenya

Image result for images of forced marriage in African women

Female Genital Mutilation( FGM):In the name of keeping virgins, girls were cut and stitched to protect them from fornication and pregnancies. Most girls bled to death some took forever to heal. With time people learnt that this practice was malicious and they have stood strongly against it.

Female Genital Mutilation

Widow Inheritance:When your husband passes on and leaves you behind with the kids, some cultures required that you must be married off to his younger brother or his uncle because you are a property that belongs to the family. All too often one could not fight back. As at now, people are free to make their own choice, be a widow or get married to someone you love out of that family.

Son preference:Back in time men thought if girls as weak and a bad sign, as they preferred sons for inheritance and family protection. They would go to an extent of marrying a second and third wife just to have sons. As at now, a boy or a girl for a child does not really matter.

Wife battering:Women held very low positions in the society. They were supposed to be humble and submissive to their husbands. Any form of rebellion invited a thorough beating or a fierce domestic violence. Men and women of today get to solve matters in better ways, seeking professional guidance and help.

A battered Woman

Traditional circumcision ceremonies:You be moving up and about the village in almost no clothes, going to the river early in the morning, the cold biting your skin to bathe and smear your body with the sand. You strip naked in front of a crowd and get cut raw together with a group of boys your age, and no one was to shed a tear in the name of bravery. And the village is chanting your name. But people grew up, people go to hospitals nowadays as they find it safer and less involving.

Traditional Circumcision Cremony

Bullfighting and wrestling:This was and is still common among the Luhya community. Betting on bulls, alcohol, women a little drunken fight. But as at now, real men have found consolation in Sportpesa and Betway.

Bull fighting

Weird burial ceremonies:The dead were feared so much that bore very creepy practices while sending them off to the next world. Some tribes would bury their leaders with their bodies facing the homestead. Others would bury them with their wealth and belongings. Today the dead are granted a peaceful and decent send-off.

Wierd Burial ceremonies

Night running:Someone gets possessed by spirits and they go running around at night, hitting on peoples doors and throwing sand in their iron sheets at night scaring the shit out of people. Today people have better things to do than run around naked at night.

Night runners

Forced Marriages:As soon as a girl hit puberty she was married off to some old rich grandfather without her consent who would pay a handsome dowry to the family to keep them going. At this era, girls have right to education, way marriages are not so common and the society is feeling the impact of educating the woman.

Forced Marriages


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *