Mijikenda

Located in the former coast province of Kenya, there is a sacred forest known as the Kaya (plural: Kayas) that belongs to the Mijikenda people. As a source of ritual power and a source of cultural identity and identity as a people, the kaya forest is considered an integral part of the culture of the ethnic group.

For those belonging to that group, it is a place where they can pray. There are also several other parts of the kaya forest that are essential. These include the settlement, the ritual center, and the fortified enclosure that surrounds it.

There are nine Bantu-speaking ethnic groups living in the Kaya forest on Kenya's coast, known as the Mijikenda. In addition to the oral traditions and performing arts expressed through the sacred forests of the Mijikenda, which are also rich in medicinal plants, the Mijikenda identity is reflected in the Mijikenda performing arts.

There are a number of traditions and practices that are associated with this culture that define their code of ethics and governance systems. The prayers, oaths, burial rites, and charms, which are used by believers in naming their newborn children, initiations, reconciliations, marriages, and coronations, are examples.

A long history of fortified settlements exists in the Kayas of Mijikenda, which is part of Mijikenda settlements. In addition to these sacred spaces, which are crucial to preserving the identity, continuity, and cohesion of these communities, there are cultural spaces through which the Mijikenda communities live out their living traditions.

There is a great deal of indigenous knowledge and practices among the Kayas that regulate and guide the use of natural resources that have contributed to the conservation of the diverse life within them. The Kayas and their related cultural expressions are a collection of heritage collections propelled by the Kambi (Councils of Elders).

Today, there is a significant shift among Mijikenda communities that are leaving the Kayas and moving into informal urban settlements. With the loss of land resources, urbanization, and social transformations, traditions associated with Kaya settlements are fast disappearing due to pressures on land resources, urbanization, and social transformations.

In addition to these practices, these practices pose great dangers to the social fabric of Mijikenda communities, who celebrate and revere the Kaya settlements as their identity and as a symbol of continuity and continuity.