Cultural Centres in Isiolo
Malka Bisanadi Cultural Centre: Borana Heritage
“At the Malka Cultural Centre, you get to experience a different setup unlike any other honey moon suite. The suites, which are called Minn Arossa in Borana, are built on the day of the wedding. As custom dictates the building of a house is the work of the women, they embark on intertwining the sticks and thatch using a material called gela and a rope made from the bark of the plenteous Acacia trees”.
Situated 100 km west of Isiolo town, at Kinna along the boundary of Meru National Park and Bisanadi National Reserve, Malka Cultural Centre more proper Malka Bisanadi Cultural Centre, is a communal gathering space where people meet, socialize, celebrate, and holidays, hosted especially by the local Borana community. This noble initiative, enliven with the Borana signature hospitality, has helped strengthen community bonds and maintain cultural continuity.
The story of its origin is beautiful, too. It all started when a group of 30 residents from Kinna, Guba Dida village, dreamt up the idea of setting up a cultural village. It was aptly named after the Malka Bisanadi, the white water springs. The residents teamed up as a self help group constituting 18 women and 12 men in 2004. They also integrated the services of the Elders in the community to assist in the cultural perspective of the village. The cultural village is aimed at promoting eco tourism and preserving the Borana culture which seems to be eroding day by day with the influence of the Western values.
Many cultural centers include cafes or restaurants that serve traditional food, as well as gift shops that sell cultural artifacts, crafts, and souvenirs. These amenities help visitors experience and support the culture in a tangible way. They empower communities by providing a space where they can express their identity and share their culture with others. Cultural centers attract tourists and serve as educational resources for students, researchers, and the general public.
The highlight at Malka Cultural Centre is a night stay at their locally inspired accommodation. It’s not 5-star, but the gist is all but. In the honey-moon suites, simple but there’s a special hole meant for the lady in preparation for the husband; an aphrodisiac of sorts for the couple. Hot coal is placed at the base of the hole and the scented stones made of herbal-bark forors, udi, perfume and sugar are placed on top where they burn producing a beautiful scent. The bride, after showering and oiling herself,e is fully covered not to let the scent disappear and stands with her legs apart to allow the perfume to enter her body.
That Kenya has a rich cultural diversity needs no introduction. It is an invaluable blessing to the nation. To foster an understanding of this heritage, there are cultural centers around Kenya that provide insights into the tapestry of cultures and traditions in their regions. These centers preserve and celebrate traditional practices and customs amidst the shift towards modernization and globalization.
Index of Cultural Centres in Kenya
Baringo County - Mogotio Equator Center, Bomet County - Kipsigis Oasis Sanctuary Culture, Kaplelach Cultural Centre, Busia County - Kakapel Cultural Centre, Garissa County - Garissa Cultural Centre, Isiolo County - Gotu Cultural Centre, Malka Cultural Centre, Kakamega County - The Nabongo Mumia Centre, Kericho County - Kipsigis Cultural Museum, Kiambu County - Gikuyu Cultural Museum, Kirinyaga County - Thingira Cultural Centre, Lamu County - Swahili House Centre, Mosque College Lamu, House of Habib Swaleh, Machakos County - The Syokimau Cultural Centre, Makueni County - Makueni Cultural Center, Meru County - Murithi Mpuri Cultural Centre, Thiiri Centre, Mombasa County - Swahili Cultural Centre, Little Theatre Club, Bombolulu Cultural Centre, Ngomongo Villages, Muranga County - Mukurwe Wa Nyagathanga, Nairobi County - Bomas of Kenya, Kenya Cultural Centre, The Goethe Institut, Alliance Française, Nakuru County - Bomas of Nakuru, Nandi County - Cheruiyot Ecosystem, Nyamira County - Otenyo Cultural Centre, Samburu County - Umoja Women Village, Tana River County - Tana Delta Cultural Center, Tharaka Nithi County - Ura Gate Meru
Isiolo County, with its strategic location, rich cultural heritage, and potential for development, is a unique region in Kenya. It features a mix of semi-arid and arid landscapes, with some areas of savannah and bushland, and home to several wildlife reserves and conservancies, including the Buffalo Springs National Reserve, Shaba National Reserve and the famed Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
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A Guide to Isiolo County
A Summa Digest of Isiolo
About Isiolo Way Back When
42 Destinations in Isiolo County, arranged as one would visit these - south, north, east then north - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
Isiolo Town, St. Eusebius Cathedral, Isiolo Jamia Mosque, Isiolo Memorial, Kisimani Eco Resort, Isiolo Falls, Kaita and Degushi Hills, Nyambeni Range, Magado Crater, Cave Dwellings, Harr Girrissa, Mlima Tatu, Kubi Turkana, Garba Tula, Gotu Falls, Gotu Cultural Centre, Biliqo Bulesa Conservancy, Merti Plateau, Merti Catholic Church, Ewaso Nyiro River, Lorian Swamp, Malka Cultural Centre, Bisanadi National Reserve, Kora Wells, Leparua Conservancy, Ol Lentille Conservancy, The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille, Oldonyiro Conservancy, Nantudu Spire Rock, Nasuulu Conservancy, Buffalo Springs National Reserve, Buffalo Springs, Samburu National Reserve, Samburu Simba Lodge, Shaba National Reserve, Sarova Shaba Lodge, Joy’s Camp, Nakuprat Gotu Conservancy, Boji Dera Camp, Sera Conservancy, Isiolo Cultural Festival, Camping in the Great North
Know More About Isiolo County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - with the aid of strip maps, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
Isiolo is almost always hot and dry at most months of year, with a mean of 30oC, and two rainy seasons. The rainfall received is historically erratic, scarce and unreliable.
Isiolo can be split into three ecological zones, semi-arid, arid and very near desert arid. The smallest, useful, semi-arid zone covers only 5% the county, around Kinna region.