The Turkana are Plain Nilotes traditionally occupying the northwestern region of Kenya bordering Uganda and South Sudan. Their main economic activities were pastoralism and fishing. Their houses were built to suit their nomadic lifestyle as well as the hot climatic conditions of the region they occupied. Unlike many other communities, there were no ceremonial rituals attached to the occupation of a new homestead or the abandonment of an old one.
Since they moved from place to place frequently, Turkana men only built temporary homesteads. Building materials used were thorny boughs, bush wood and dried doum palm leaves, and every homestead was secured with a circular thorny fence.
Within the compound was a livestock shed, a tree that acted as a windbreak, a sleeping hut for the husband, and two huts for every wife: a day hut and a sleeping hut. Day huts were the hub of all social activities, including meals and entertaining guests, while sleeping huts were only used at nighttime. The first wife’s huts were to the right of the gate, while the rest of the wives’ huts were built to the left.
Are there any other communities in which wives had two huts? Share them with us below!
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