by Elizabeth Njeri
A welcome, much needed and awaited development is unfolding among the young people born between 1997 and 2012 (Gen – Z) in Kenya and more so in my community. There’s a tangible hunger to understand our roots, what our forefathers held dear and practiced before colonial brainwashing which has been proceeded by vast initiatives in digging up our traditional identity.
We are now having physical lessons in most local dialects, YouTube animations for children on our history and oral discourses by the older generations educating on our traditional identity. In my community we refer to this as returning the river to its original path. Saturday 8th March, 2025 was a culmination of sorts for this movement that is growing by the day. On this day over 3,000 young people came together in Limuru in Kenya to celebrate our traditional roots in song, art, fashion and dance.
Solo verses were recited, traditional songs danced to and an evident renaissance of our traditional fashion theme with a modern touch. African print dominated the event, which is becoming a signature in the nation, our forefathers must be elated in the world beyond this life. Hang across the wall was a pictorial representation of the origin of the Kikuyu people, what a day to be alive. Gikuyu is the name of the patriarch of the largest tribal group in Kenya, the Kikuyu. There’re different stories describing our origins, most profound is the one that speaks of Gikuyu being a descendant of Emperor Menelik originated who escaped from Ethiopia and settled on Mt. Kenya and the regions round the mountain. To this day this is known as home for the Kikuyu community.
Gikuyu married Mumbi and begot nine ladies namely; Wanjiru, Wambui, Njeri, Wanjiku, Wairimu, Nyambura, Waithera, Wangari and Wangui who are considered the foundation that gives clan identity. Ngemi festival had pictorial representations of all the nine ladies and their background giving it such weight considering the age range representation in attendance. In the words of one of the organizers, “Ngemi is just one of the many cultural experiences we support to celebrate the African spirit and embrace our shared heritage.” \Photos courtesy of Ngemi festival homecoming.
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Amzing event!