One of the minority communities in Kenya are the Sengwer whose historical occupation consisted of hunting and gathering. At present, most Sengwer are farmers who are found within the Cherengany hills area in western Kenya.
Building bomas in this community was something of an arduous task, but one that the builders – often men – had become accustomed to. Because of a man’s status as head of the household and as strong in the community, he was responsible for the construction of all the huts inside his homestead. This way he knew all the rooms and ‘corners’ of every hut. His first goal was to build the main hut for he and his family. This main hut faced the boma entrance and was partitioned into a living area where the family convened for meals, and two sleeping areas: a lower one for he, his wife and children under the age of six, and an upper area for the children above the age of six. It is however not known at what age Sengwer children left their father’s hut but the living arrangement bears some similarities to present day ones with nuclear families. Aside from the main hut, the man also built an outdoor kitchen and a food storage unit.
To make their homes stronger and ready to withstand storms and strong winds, the wives smeared mud that served as the huts inside walls.
Have you heard of the Sengwer community? Do you know when the male children left home to marry and eventually start their own bomas?