From experiment to huge earnings: Borana traditional huts that net income for locals

Malka Bisanadi Group chairlady Makai Mamo and member Habiba Halake thatch a traditional Borana manyatta as part of the expansion of Malka Cultural Village near Kinna Town in Isiolo County. [Nanjinia Wamuswa, Standard]

In 2008, a group of unemployed young people took a bold gamble. With just hope and determination, they built traditional Borana manyattas, convinced that tourists visiting nearby Meru National Park would be interested in experiencing their culture and would be willing to pay for it.

Some of the youths had previously worked as casual labourers at the park, and noticed some of the tourist lodges incorporated designs resembling traditional huts.

This observation inspired them to recreate an authentic Malka Cultural Village in their own community, near Kinna town, Isiolo County.

"It was a gamble. No clear vision, but we felt it was worth trying. We were unemployed, desperate and had nothing to lose," Hussein Genjobe, one of the founders, recalls.

Today, that bold decision has blossomed into a thriving community enterprise that has diversified into hospitality, crop farming, livestock rearing, fish farming and beekeeping, creating sustainable livelihoods for its members.

Genjobe, the vice chair of the Malka Bisanadi Group, says the journey has not been easy. The group was formed by 30 young people, 18 women and 12 men, who pooled Sh50,000 to kick-start the venture.

Most of the construction materials were sourced locally, including poles, makuti, ropes, palm leaves and grass; they built eight traditional Borana manyattas, each furnished with a single bed.

Makai Mamo, the group's chairlady, led the women in constructing the huts.

“In Borana culture, it is the women who build the huts. Since we wanted to give visitors an authentic cultural experience, it was important that the huts were constructed by women,” she explains.

The village sits amid dense indigenous thickets on five acres of a 15-acre property, with the remaining land devoted to other income-generating activities.

Malka Bisanadi Group, vice chair Hussein Genjobe, outside a traditional Borana manyatta hut at Malka Cultural Village near Kinna Town in Isiolo County [Nanjinia Wamuswa, Standard]

Besides constructing the manyattas, they rehearsed traditional Borana songs and dances and crafted artefacts, confident that tourists would be willing to pay for both the cultural performances and handmade souvenirs.

Then came the waiting.

For four years, no tourists showed up. Five members lost hope, convinced they had wasted their time and money and abandoned the project, leaving 18 women and seven men.

Then, one day, everything changed.

A convoy of tourist vehicles pulled into the village. Drawn by the authentic Borana setting, the visitors were captivated by what they found.

"We expected them to stop briefly, watch our dances, buy a few artefacts and continue with their journey. Instead, they asked to spend the night in our traditional huts, taste Borana cuisine and experience our way of life," he recalls.

The unexpected request sparked a flurry of activity. Men rushed to nearby Kinna market to buy food supplies while the women prepared traditional meals to host their first overnight guests.

The visitors stayed for several days, and by the time they left, the group's long gamble had finally begun to pay off. It marked the turning point that transformed a struggling cultural project into a viable community enterprise.

As the number of visitors increased, the group began setting aside part of its earnings for savings and reinvestment.

Over the years, several development partners came on board, supporting the initiative through grants, training and livestock management programmes.

Makai says their savings and grants have helped the group to expand the facility by constructing additional manyattas and a conference hall, transforming the once modest cultural village into a thriving hospitality centre.

The facility has 50 guest rooms, some fitted with double beds, giving it the capacity to host about 70 visitors at a time. In addition to tourists, the facility now accommodates seminars, meetings and educational tours.

Genjobe says foreign visitors often prefer the authentic experience offered by traditional Borana huts, while many local guests tend to favour more modern amenities.

To cater to the diverse preferences of visitors, the group upgraded and modernised some of the manyattas, making them more comfortable without compromising their cultural identity.

Through interaction with development partners, the group recognised the risks of relying solely on tourism and gradually began diversifying its investments.

Being pastoralists who traditionally kept large herds of cattle, the community had suffered repeated livestock losses due to recurring droughts, making livestock keeping an increasingly risky livelihood.

To strengthen their resilience and diversify their sources of income, Heifer International Kenya introduced commercial goat production through the Kenya Livestock Marketing and Resilience Project (KLMP), implemented in partnership with the Swedish Embassy.

The project sought to improve livestock production and marketing systems to enhance the livelihoods and resilience of red meat producers, particularly pastoralist communities.

"Heifer trained us on pasture establishment and conservation so that we can harvest and store fodder for use during drought. They also supplied grass seeds, enabling us to establish pasture on our land. Today, we no longer panic when drought comes because we have enough feed," he explains.

 The pasture enterprise has also become a business in its own right. Neighbouring communities buy hay from the group, while humanitarian organisations purchase fodder for distribution to drought-affected areas.

The organisation also trained members on climate-smart livestock production, feedlot management, financial management, climate change adaptation and market linkages.

“We learned how to buy young goats, fatten them over about three months and sell them at higher prices,” he says. They have established a feedlot, officially launched on August 1, with an initial stock of 50 goats.

Genjobe discloses the group has also established horticultural gardens producing tomatoes, onions, sukuma wiki, spinach and a variety of fruits.

Some of the produce is served to guests, while the surplus is sold at Kinna market.

They have also ventured into fish farming, stocking two ponds with tilapia and mudfish. Although fish was initially unpopular in the community, demand has steadily grown as more residents embrace fish as a source of food.

Beekeeping has become another profitable enterprise. The group manages 50 beehives, harvesting and selling honey to a growing customer base while expanding the apiary.

Despite the success, challenges remain. Wildlife, particularly buffaloes from the nearby park, frequently destroy crops and damage fences, while tourism demand fluctuates between peak and low seasons.

The group praises the enterprise, as it has transformed the lives of its members, helping them to educate their children and support their families through income generated from the group's businesses.

“Determination has been our secret. I encouraged my fellow women not to give up, even when the journey was difficult. Had we lost hope, we would not be where we are Today,” Makai says.

 A walk through the village, you are greeted by more traditional Borana huts under construction, reflecting the group's continued expansion. The group remains committed to preserving Borana culture for future generations.