Kenyan History & Culture

The big shiny snake with smoke emanating from its head: A certain Gĩkũyũ mystic named Mũgo wa Kĩbirũ, who lived in the 18th and early 19th centuries, described visions of a large shiny snake with fire emanating from its head, traveling around the country and disgorging a strange tribe of people with pale skins who wore brightly colored garments like butterflies and carried sticks that produced fire. This was before the arrival of the British to Kenya.

Mũratina tree: for which the town Karatina is named. Its odd-looking pendant fruit is brewed to make alcohol.

Mũgũmo tree: The mũgumo tree is considered sacred among the Agĩkũyũ. Legend has it that Mũgo wa Kĩbirũ foretold that only after a certain mũgumo tree in Thika fell would the country be free of the white man. The British government took it seriously enough that they reinforced the base of the tree with large iron rings. However, it was struck by lightning and fell, and soon afterwards Kenya became independent of British colonial rule.

Matatu: ubiquitous, colorful minivans that are the main mode of transportation for most people in Kenya.

Some Interesting Character Names

Mulligan and Mũringa: Wambũi’s mother couldn’t pronounce the name Mulligan. The  closest Gikũyũ sound is Mũringa, which is somewhat ironic, because ‘Mũringa’ in Gĩkũyũ is a length of wire (skinny), in contrast to Reverend Mulligan, who was of a notably stout frame.

Lydia: Wambũi rejects the name Lydia. Of note, Lydia of Thyatira, whose name Wambũi rejected, is considered the first European convert to Christianity—she was a very successful businesswoman in her time, and Wambũi, coincidentally, excels similarly in the same vocation.

 Gathomi: little reader/student