With modernization threatening traditional values and norms of various communities in the country, little known the Endorois community has taken a major step to preserve its rich history.
According to the executive director of Endorois Welfare Council Wilson Kipkazi, a book has been written mainly to document a detailed information about who they are, what they have, what they do and their values as a community.
Kipkazi stated that the move will go a long way in ensuring sustainable biodiversity resource management as well as accessing and sharing them to the outside world.
“We want to remain relevant to our future generations because currently cultural believes are slowly dying a natural death due to westernization,” he said.
The director noted that the move to preserve their culture, food and traditional way of live traditional values through an over 100 page biocultural protocol book is historical and will even enable them get recognition by government in terms of resource sharing.
Erick Kimalit, the welfare council chair stated that because of their dynamism as a community they are now seeking to be recognized not only in the country but internationally.
He said the protocol launched at Loboi cultural centre in Lake Bogoria of Baringo South Sub County recently seeks to also safeguard them against other laws because their document has been written in consideration of international laws which is Nagoya protocol recognized by the Kenyan constitution.
“We want to preserve some of our cultures which are good so that we can nature generations of substance,” he said.
Kimalit noted with concern that nowadays some of the young children do not know that it was a taboo to kill certain animals or even cutting different species of trees.
“The book will outline what used to be done in those golden days so that it can be adhered to by the members of our community,” said the chair.
He added that going forward, they are also going to gather views from the members of community on specific issues about the kind of music, food, clothing and other relevant values to be documented in the second book which will succeed the first one.
Cecilia Githaiga, Programmes Manager at Kenya Natural justice says it is important for the community to understand their cultures because they are still useful even in this modern era.
She asked other communities in the country to put structures at community level so that they are able to define their own structures in a way which can help them negotiate with other people who come to their territories to engage with them in any kind of development activities.
Governor Stanley Kiptis who was the chief guest during the launch lauded the process saying that it will enable the community become united and foster a common goal.
Kiptis at the same time encouraged other communities from the county to value their cultures since it forms integral part of their socioeconomic development.
