Cultural Centers in Tana River
Tana Delta Cultural Center: In Prospect
Tana River valley is a meeting-point of several tribes, and therefore of particular interest from an ethnological point of view. Moreover, it is the dividing-line, for this part of Kenya, between Bantu and non-Bantu, making it a fascinating area for the culture buff too. Native home to the Pokomo, it was impinged upon severally, first from the north-east, afterwards from the south-west, by the Galla; at a later date by the Somali from the north-east and the Maasai from the south-west.
At Garsen just past Minjila junction there’s a county-owned cultural centre, in the making, to highlight the interesting diversity of Tana River. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing inside the buildings but squirrels playing about”. The Bantu tribe of the Pokomo (or Wapokomo) form, as we now know, the main population of the Tana River County. The Wapokomo are divided into thirteen tribes, each occupying a locality named after it, although in recent times there has been a tendency for the groups to break up, fractions of some tribes settling within the localities of others.
The names of the Pokomo tribes, beginning with the highest and going down Tana River are: Korokoro, Malakote, Malalulu, Zubaki, Ndura, Kinakomba, Gwano (Gwana), Ndera, Mwina, Ngatana Dzunza Buu and Kalindi. More often than not, the Kulesa is counted as a separate tribe but it is really a branch of the Ngatana.
The Pokomo language is interesting, being the farthest north-westerly outlier of the Bantu family. Its vocabulary contains a large non-Bantu elements, most of which is recognisable as Galla (also known as Orma) although there are also a number of words which cannot be ascertained. Pokomo has several features in common with the neighbouring Nyika dialects (like Giriama) especially of the strong objection to the consonants P and T, which are replaced by bilabial F and H respectively. Thus the people do not call themselves Wapokomo, but Wafokomo.
Pokomo hut is of the same shape as that made by the Galla and Wasanye with this difference, that the wattles are tied together at the top, instead of crossing each other in a series of arches. The Pokomo are proficient swimmers and divers, and scorn to take any precautions where crocodiles are concerned. Fishing is carried on with a hook and line, by spearing, with a conical basket called chiha (which is lowered into the water, enclosing the fish like a bell-net), or in a trap, mono.
At that time the Wasegeju occupied the country between Ozi and Chadoro on the Tana, the Pokomo were already settled along the valley. Driven south at the onset of the Galla, the Wakauma and Wasegeju migrated together to the Vanga district (where the latter found a permanent home), while the Wapokomo, who preferred submitting to the invaders, stayed. The Galla, later swept down on the Tana Valley from the north, were in turn driven beyond Tana River by the Somali, from 1868.
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
Tana River County is a rewarding destination for travelers interested in exploring off-the-beaten-path locations in Kenya. River Tana is the longest river in Kenya, flowing through the county and offering opportunities for riverine activities such as boat cruises, fishing, and birdwatching. Tana River County is home to the Orma and Pokomo ethnic groups, each with rich cultural traditions, music, and dances.
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Explore Destinations Near Tana Delta Cultural Centre
A Guide to Tana River County
A Summa Digest of Tana River
About Tana River Way Back When
28 Destinations in Tana River County, arranged as one would visit these - north to south - with the aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
Ngao Neukirchen Church, Lake Shakababo, Delta Dunes Lodge, Ozi Conservation Area, Tana River Lodge, Old Town Kipini, Ungwana Bay Ruins, Shaka Ruins, Mwana Ruins, Fumo Liyongo Shrine, Kipini Conservancy, Red Cliff Camp, River Tana Delta, Tana Delta Colonial Forts, Tana Delta Cultural Centre, Tana Primate National Reserve, Mchelelo Bandas, Ndera Conservancy, Mau Mau Hola Monument, Hola Methodist Church, Bura St. Jude, Bura Irrigation Scheme, Bura East Conservancy, Arawale National Reserve, George Adamson's Grave, Kora National Park, Adamson's Fall, Tana River Bridge
Know More About Tana River County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including a distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
Tana River has a hot and dry climate with average annual temperatures of 30oC; the highest,41oC, is in January-March and the lowest being 20o C in June-July. Rainfall is low, bi-modal, and erratic.
The land generally sloping eastward, Tana River is all undulating plain that is only interrupted in a few places by low hills – at Bilibil and Bura.