No time abroad without visiting a museum and learning about local history. Going to visit a museum, the only one in Kisumu, was something that I definitely wanted to do. It was a good idea by Lucy, whom I met at the Chapati Festival @Remand Home, where she also volunteered. She showed me around and we also visited museums in Kisumu and Nairobi.

The Kisumu Museum was the first museum that I have visited in Kenya. It was a great insight into the culture and history ancillary to what I already could learn through my volunteering. Here (at the museum) I could learn about the different Kenyan tribes, speaking their own language in addition to Swahili.

However, much later I have learned about the Luo People and the Luo names. According to them my Luo my is “Onyango”, since being born in the morning and being a boy (at the time of my birth 😉). A Luo name will or can be added to the actual name, such as “Johannes Onyango” in my case. I like it.

For instance, we have learned about headdresses. They are worn on important occasions as a symbol of status. They’re often used during cultural dances or for ritual ceremonies such as circumcision as a means of identifying certain age grade groups. Valuable materials such as rare animal skins, feathers, hippopotamus or warthog tusks, and cowrie shells brought from the coast reflect their wearer’s wealth, authority, and wisdom.

Traditionally meals were cooked over an open fire in clay pots balanced on a hearth made of three stones. Women and girls were primarily occupied with the preparation of food for the family. The stable foods of millet and sorghum porridge were mixed to a paste using cooking sticks and special stirrers. Food was eaten from clay, wooden or basketry containers using spoons or cups made of shell, horn, gourd and wood.

The rearing and tending of livestock remains an important activity for all communities in western region. The Kalenjin and Luo rely on agriculture and animal products for their livelihood. Formerly, both groups bleed cattle and mixed the animal’s blood with milk as a source of protein. Bantu people also practise mixed farming and rear small herds or goats, fat-tailed sheep and cattle, as well as poultry.

Recreation is part of life in the society. All age groups have some form of recreation. People take part in recreational activities for pleasure and to relax the mind and body, especially after work.

Traditionally, old men gathered together for a drink and discussed the affairs of the community. A few individuals engaged in bang smoking. The playing of bao game was popular among men of all age groups. The game provided a mental exercise to the players. Women largely used tobacco which was either smoked or sniffed. Some women also engaged in drinking.

In more recent years, unmarried young men look to activities such as playing football and wrestling matches, while young girls would play games like kati and kora. Dancing was also enjoyed younger by adults of both genders.

We saw and learned a lot of other things. Especially the insects were interesting. Most of them we won’t find in the nature just so.

We could visit some of the traditional huts too. It is not very bright insight due to lack of windows. The inner space is basic to spartan and reduced to things really needed. A kitchen corner, sleeping corner, a shared space to sit down.

There was also a dance group, performing a traditional dance. Requesting a small donation as they’re not an official part of the museum.

---

Disclaimer:

As usual in Kenya, there are different fees for entrance for locals and tourists. From my point of view that’s fair. Other than that you may need to know sign for entrance (your name) when accessing the compound. It’s useful to pay by M-Pesa as this eases the process. On different occasions I’ve noted, visitors may need to register and pay in advance via e-citizen, which is the same portal tourists use to apply for authorisation / admission to enter the country of Kenya (formerly known as Visa e.g. for tourists holding German citizenship).

M-Pesa is the most popular mean of payment by phone since many people don’t want or cannot afford a bank account as explained in Introduction and quick facts. It doesn’t even matter what kind of phone you’re using, even phones being used before the smartphone era are still present and in use.