The Sakuye are a small, semi-nomadic group who mostly live in the northeastern region of Kenya. They previously lived with the Rendille community in Marsabit, but the name ‘Sakuye’ came to be when they migrated north and settled in an area occupied by the Borana who referred to them as ‘Saakuye’.
The community’s social structures do not allow Sakuye girls to marry outside of the community.
Their nomadic lifestyle influenced their home structures. However, two things remained constant: men were in charge of building homes, and in any given Saakuye boma, there were three homes. The “Dasee” was the dome-shaped hut; the “Guutole” was the conical shaped hut, and the “Arishi” was the rectangular shaped hut. All three homes were built using a framework of sticks with the walls and roofs covered with hides and mats. The doorway consisted of a number of strings.
Similarly, the Rendille built their bomas in the same way, with women taking charge of the manyatta construction as men dealt with the erection of the fence and the stock pens. Rendille girls lived in their mother’s manyatta until they were set to be married, while Rendille boys were taught by their fathers how to maintain a home from the age of ten.
Know any other interesting feature about these communities’ bomas?
