Maasai cultural dancers at past events
Hundreds of international tourists are expected to join the Maa inaugural festival to kick off at Sekenani Gate from 21st to 24 August this year as the community seeks to cement its grip in keeping to its traditional values.
Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) acting Chief executive officer John Chirchir yesterday confirmed that several tourists from across the globe already in Masai Mara for the game safari would have their first-hand experience of the Masai Culture.
“This festival will not only attract Kenyans, but we will be having a good number of international visitors who are already or those coming to Masai Mara for the annual wildebeest migration experience. This will be an opportunity to showcase different cultural traditions by the Maa community,” says Chirchir.
The Masai Mara game reserve is at the moment receiving an unprecedented number of visitors both locally and internationally courtesy of the annual wildebeest migration phenomenon that is currently at its peak.
Chirchir said traditional festivals have continued to hype and positively profiled the diversity of Kenya’s cultures amongst different ethnic groups besides fostering peaceful co-existence among communities.
“Cultural events such as Lamu Cultural Festival, Rusinga Cultural Festivals, and Lake Turkana Cultural Festivals among others have continued to strengthen culture as a tourism experience, besides other attractions we gave for our visitors,” said Chirchir.
Chirchir lauded the cultural events as having contributed heavily to the economic livelihoods of the hosting regions besides enhancing cultural exchanges and cohesion among communities.
The inaugural event set in motion the resolve of the community to put their cultural ceremonies on an annual calendar of events to be held rotationally by the Maa-speaking counties of Narok, Kajiado, and Samburu.
Narok Kajiado Economic Bloc chief executive officer Jackson Mpario said the 4-day long extravaganza has a line-up of cultural showcases ranging from songs, dances, poetry, sports, Maa cuisines, and material culture.
“This event provides an avenue for cultural celebrations and preservation as well as service as a mechanism for upholding community values that are under threat of extinction with cultural hegemony dues to globalization,” stated Mpario.
The Maa-speaking counties of Kajiado, Narok, and Samburu will be expected in the event which is attracting an estimated of over 12,000 participants daily.
Narok County Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu in his Facebook handle after meeting the President along with his Samburu counterpart Jonathan Lati Leleit and Mpario confirmed that the head of state President William Ruto will grace the event.
According to Mpario, the President will during the event present the document UNESCO rights of passages namely Enkipata, Euonoto, and Olng’esher certificates to the three governors of the Maa community.
“The event will be an opportunity for nurturing talents and sharpening skills of our local talents especially Maa music and sports besides market of our artifacts made by our blacksmiths”, added Mpario
