Books

Written to appeal to a wide audience, this book presents both a historical and an updated picture of some important elements of Kamba culture that have been described as ‘supernatural’ or even ‘witchcraft.’ These are traditional practices and beliefs that some people know little about, while others consider them to be evil. However, for many Akamba, both in towns and in the rural areas, these beliefs are part of the reality of modern life. Kĩkamba has many words for them, while in English, they can be described as ‘oaths,’ ‘ordeals,’ ‘vows’ and ‘protective charms.’ The author quotes from interviews with Akamba from rural Ukambani, as well as urban residents; men and women, young and old, Christians and followers of traditional religion. She compares what she learned from them with material from published sources going back to 1860, to show that many traditional beliefs survive to the present day. Celia Nyamweru’s love for and interest in Kenya’s country and people grew from her very first months in the country in 1965. As a graduate student in geography, she studied landforms and rocks in the central Rift Valley. She became a teacher, first at a secondary school, and for over 18 years at Kenyatta University. She has written and edited books and articles for readers at all levels from primary school to specialized scholarship. Her research interests have included the ten thousand year old Lake Nakuru, the active volcano Oldoinyo Lengai, the making of bark cloth in Uganda, the sacred kaya forests of coastal Kenya, and the Mijikenda heroine Mekatilili. She became a Kenya citizen in 1972 and was married under Kikuyu customary law in 1977. She is the proud mother of two daughters and three stepsons, and the ‘cucu’ of eight grandchildren. She hopes that this book will encourage young Kenyans to take more interest in their own culture, since ‘mwacha mila ni mtumwa.’