Kenya’s shuka cloth recognised at the African blanket

EVEN if you have never met anyone from, or visited Kenya, chances are you know something about the country.

Kenya is home to Oscar winner Lupita Nyongo and the Maasai tribe and in recent times, Kenyan shuka cloth has gained international fame. If you’ve never heard of shuka cloth, there’s a high chance you’ve seen it in pictures. Often red with black stripes, shuka cloth is affectionately known as the ‘African blanket’ and is worn by the Maasai people of East Africa.

The Berea Mail caught up with Kenyan Tamasha Maliti who was wrapped up in the ‘African blanket’. ” My dad is from the Eastern part of Kenya and the Mkamba ethnic group, they speak Kikamba. My mother is from the Kikuyi tribe but I am Kenyan because I grew up in the city and was surrounded by so many diverse cultures. Kenya has a total of 43 tribes and the majority of them have several sub-tribes. Surprisingly, five tribes make up 70 per cent of the entire Kenyan population. The Kikuyu community is the largest tribe and represents 22 per cent of the entire population, followed by Luhya, Luo, Kalenjin, Kamba and Kisii respectively,” explained Maliti.

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There are, according to Maliti, similarities between traditions and cultures in South Africa and Kenya. “What I find fascinating especially is the emphasis put on the payment of dowry (lobola) in my country which is also the same in South Africa. Also, because I speak Swahili which similar to Zulu, I can also hear some words and follow conversations. We also eat pap which is a staple food here, but we call it Ugali which is a type of cornmeal porridge. It is the perfect accompaniment to soups, stews and savory curries. I also love Tilapia fish, sukumawiki (colewort) the literal translation of the phrase ‘sukuma wiki’ is to ‘push the week’ or ‘stretch the week’. Most of our dishes have Arabic influences. Kenyans are very resourceful people, which is very evident in our country as we have a big informal market. The culture of harambe, which means ‘all pull together’, is very important to us,” concluded Maliti.

Starting in 2020, schools in South Africa will teach Kiswahili as an optional language, making it the first African language outside South Africa to be offered in class. Basic Education minister Angie Motshekga said the move was meant to promote unity and ‘social cohesion with fellow Africans.’

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