Turkana Birth Rites 

The Turkana are a spiritual community, and this is reflected in the rituals they carry out to commemorate the birth of a child. On the day of the birth, the mother is secluded in her hut, which is covered in cow hides and warmed up by a fire lit using a traditional fire stick known as Ngipip. There are midwives present to help her through the labour and birth, but the rest of the family must remain outside and await news.

As soon as the community receives word of a healthy birth, there is jubilation as they welcome a new member into their ranks. A celebration known as Edea takes place during which the midwives are honoured for their work. To thank them for assisting the mother, a ram is slaughtered. Other animal sacrifices also take place because the Turkana believe that blood must be shed to please the spirits and their god, Akuj. This entire process is overseen by a clan elder, as well as a diviner known as emuron, whose role is to bless the child and the family.

Then comes the child naming ceremony – an intricate process that has two stages. The first stage is influenced by the Turkana’s migratory lifestyle; as one of the largest nomadic groups in Kenya, they move around to find green pastures for their livestock. Therefore, when a newborn baby arrives, they are given their first name according to the season of the year or the place of their birth. 

As for the second name, it is decided through a booking system. Before the birth, members of the community can request that the unborn child be named after them. However, not just anyone can make a request – this honour is reserved for family members and close friends. In cases where there are many requests, the decision is left up to the infant! They are called all the requested names, and when they suckle their mother’s breast, it is assumed that they are pleased with the current choice. 

Children can also be named after local celebrities or heroes, but these names are chosen carefully, as it is believed that the child will adopt the character of the person they are named after. Amongst the Turkana, masculine children are named using the prefixes “Lo” and “E”, and feminine children are named using the prefixes “Na” and “A”. 

These traditional naming systems are still in use today by many Turkana pastoralists, but there are modernists who choose to name their children after the days of the week, or religious figures.

Curious about other Turkana rites of passage? Read about how they honour their dead. 

#KeRites