Culture is on trial

Maasai Morans

Nairobi; Kenya: Gone are the days when a village was united by a set of moral values. The child belonged to the community and could be guided and punished by any of the community members. There was a sense of authority, from village chief to the village elders. Community members gathered and prayed together. Traditional wedding and initiation ceremonies are some of the events that brought the community together. All these activities led to a strong bond and cohesion among members of the community. Hence, moving from one village to another and a story is born.

Societies had a way of doing things in accordance to their traditions and cultures. Roles and responsibilities were shared among the community members. The big question is , what happened to all these structures? Culture is an integrated system of learned behavior patterns which are not a result of biological inheritance. But in Kenya today, do we recognize our cultures and traditions? If we do, then it’s a combination of ignorance and illiteracy that interferes with our lifestyle. But in my opinion, culture is on trial.