Comprehensive Study on Culture and Tradition of Kikuyu Community

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Kikuyu community, the largest ethnic group in Kenya. It explores various aspects of their culture, including language, food, religion, and traditional practices, offering insights into their historical background and societal structure. The study identifies key issues within the community, such as superstitions, gender inequality, and resistance to modernization, which hinder its progress. Furthermore, the report suggests several avenues for cultural improvement, including educational development, anti-superstition campaigns, women empowerment, and promoting a more open approach towards globalization. It emphasizes the need for both internal and external changes to foster a well-developed and progressive Kikuyu community. The report concludes by highlighting the importance of overcoming stereotypes and encouraging education and cooperation within and outside the community to achieve sustainable development.

Running head: STUDY ON CULTURE AND TRADITION OF KIKUYU COMMUNITY
Study on culture and tradition of Kikuyu community
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1STUDY ON CULTURE AND TRADITION OF KIKUYU COMMUNITY
Executive summary
The case study intends to identify the issues of Kikuyu culture. In order to analyze the issue, the
study begins with a rich description of the Kikuyu community. In doing so, the language, food
culture, religion of the people, dressing style of them and other aspects of the culture were
discussed. It sheds lights on the issues of the community that need to be changed. Finally, the
study elaborates how the community can be improved and developed.

2STUDY ON CULTURE AND TRADITION OF KIKUYU COMMUNITY
Table of Contents
Overview of the community............................................................................................................2
Issues within the community...........................................................................................................3
Cultural improvement......................................................................................................................4
References........................................................................................................................................6

3STUDY ON CULTURE AND TRADITION OF KIKUYU COMMUNITY
Overview of the community
Kikuyu is the largest community of East-African country, Kenya. According to some
school of thought, people belonging from Kikuyu tribe had migrated from North-East and East
region. Presently Kikuyu community is largely seen in the central regions of Kenya and Nairobi.
Mount Kenya based Kikuyu people speak in Gikuyu or Kikuyu language and literacy is mainly
present among the people of rural area (Kibui 2014). Most Kikuyus worship God Ngai. Kikuyu
people believe that God Ngai had sent a man, Kikuyu, and a woman, Mumbi. The couple got
married and Kikuyu community was originated. Kikuyu people still believe Kikuyu and Mumbi
as the first man and woman of Kikuyu tribe. However, according to Healey (2015), most Kikuyu
nowadays belong from Christianity. Due to the location, agriculture is the main occupation of the
Kikuyus. Cultivation of crops such as millet, beans, maize, sugarcane, and other vegetables
including tea and coffee is common among them. Along with agriculture, Kikuyu people are also
interested in arts and crafts. Jewelry making and statue making are the noticed among artifacts.
Some Kikuyus also have chosen business as their occupation. Kikuyu people being part of the
underdeveloped country, are deprived of proper education (Kenyatta 2015). Getheri, mukimo,
irio are some of the traditional dishes of Kikuyu culture. Besides, roasted beef and goat is also
very common within the community. Dressing style of Kikuyu community is unique. Sukha and
is skin are worn by most Kikuyu people along with jewelries made of beads.
Issues within the community
It has been noticed that Kikuyu culture is still under developed. Therefore, some issues
are there that require immediate attention. One of the major drawbacks of Kikuyu culture is

4STUDY ON CULTURE AND TRADITION OF KIKUYU COMMUNITY
superstition. Inadequate education gave birth of many taboos in the culture. One such taboo is
prohibition against whistling. As per Kenyatta (2015) most Kikuyu people think whistling
welcomes evil spirits. Thus whistling is strictly prohibited within the community. Another belief
regarding number 10 also deserves mention while discussing superstition. Number 10 considered
very unlucky. They also avoid pronouncing 10. Instead of pronouncing ‘10’, they call it ‘full
nine’. According to traditional belief, announcing pregnancy is strongly regarded as bad luck.
They think that the child in womb can be harmed by supernatural sprits. Sacrifices of animals are
very common according to Kikuyu tradition. Ill practices in the name of religion like goat
slaughtering, sheep slaughtering can be largely seen in Kikuyu community. According to
Lonsdale (2014), gender biasness in the community can be considered as one of the serious
affecting factors that have major influence on the development of the community. Kikuyu
women mostly perform household works. Child bearing is thought as their ultimate purpose of
life. Women from villages hardly get the exposer to education. When a person in the community
is diagnosed with mental illness, he or she is stigmatized. Instead of going to a professional
doctor, traditional medicines such as herbs, plant stems and other elements are given to the
person. In villages, patients with mental dieses face discrimination (Kenyatta 2015). They have a
misconception of illness and often consider it as possession by evil spirits and in order to battle
with the evil spirits, witchcraft and other ill practices are performed to the person. To ward off
evil spirits Kikuyu people have a tradition of wearing necklaces made by beads. As a result
patients of serious illness such as schizophrenia, hysteria are left without proper treatment. As
per Kenyatta (2015), the Kikuyu community needs to change its negative approach towards
globalization. Kikuyu people still think modern attributes as the betrayal of the traditional
culture. They believe by accepting modernization they will lose their freedom and will come

5STUDY ON CULTURE AND TRADITION OF KIKUYU COMMUNITY
under the western influence. In such cases, ignorance and inadequate knowledge play a major
role. These stereotypes also influence the negative perception of world towards the Kikuyu
community. For instance, people tend to believe that Kikuyu people are generally uneducated.
Kikuyu people are thought to perform black magic and of low societal status.
Cultural improvement
In order to develop the community, culture of Kikuyu community need to be improved.
The best way of cultural improvement would be the educational development. In that case, rural
area should be given priority first. The government as well as non-profit organizations needs to
reach the grass root level to provide basic education (Clammer 2013). It is observed that most of
the rural children do not get the opportunity to go to school. Governing authorities need to give
attention to the development of schools so that the children of this community should receive
education service. As already discussed, Kikuyu people are not free from superstitions.
Therefore, the government should also run ant-superstation campaigns especially in the villages.
Vomiting sins and other religious ill practices became the major obstacle in the path of the
development of the community. The permanent solutions to the issue will be elimination of those
ill practices by enforcing law and launching campaigns and raising awareness regarding the ills
caused by such unscientific ways of thinking (Green and Nieman 2014). Gender inequality is one
of the major issues that have been addressed. Awareness campaigning can be organized to
overcome biasness towards the male members. Women empowerment in that case is more
important because if the women of the community are empowered and they learn to value
themselves, then only gender equality will be achieved (Midgley 2013). Kikuyu community has
an unwelcoming approach towards the westernization, for which the community is still lagging

6STUDY ON CULTURE AND TRADITION OF KIKUYU COMMUNITY
behind. They perceive that one, who adopts modern attributes, betrays the traditional culture.
The community has stereotypes within itself. People of lower strata within the community are
thought as uneducated and ill mannered. Their negative approach towards modern science made
the community left behind. Awareness regarding mental illness is essential in the community.
Specialized experts of mental illness and other social workers must take initiative to teach them
about the concept of illness. In order to help them the patients with mental illness, health services
should reach to remote area so that no patients are left without treatment (Midgley 2013).
Kikuyu, the largest ethnic community of Kenya, need to overcome the stereotypes within their
culture. Kikuyu people should encourage each other in educating themselves. Meanwhile, people
across the world also need to change their attitude and cooperate with them to become a well-
developed community.

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References
Clammer, J., 2013. Culture, development and social theory: Towards an integrated social
development. Zed Books Ltd..
Green, S. and Nieman, A., 2014. Social development: Good practice guidelines. Social
Work/MaatskaplikeWerk, 39(2).
Healey, J.G., 2015. The Experience of Small Christian Communities (SCCs) in Eastern Africa.
Kenyatta, J., 2015. Facing Mount Kenya: the traditional life of the Gikuyu (Vol. 219).East
African Educational Publishers.
Kibui, A.W., 2014. Language policy in Kenya and the New Constitution for Vision
2030. International Journal of Educational Science and Research, 4(5), pp.89-98.
Kibui, A.W., 2014. Language policy in Kenya and the New Constitution for Vision
2030. International Journal of Educational Science and Research, 4(5), pp.89-98.
Lonsdale, J., 2014. The political culture of Kenya. Occasional paper, (7), pp.87-108.
Midgley, J., 2013. Social development: Theory and practice.Sage.