NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 7 – What began as a light-hearted quip from Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit has morphed into a full-blown social media sensation. His offhand remark at the third Maa Cultural and Tourism Festival, urging everyone, including journalists, to “dress the Maasai way”, has sparked a viral dress code challenge inspired by the vibrant Maasai, Samburu, and Njemps cultures.
While addressing the press at the colourful festival in Kajiado County, the governor joked: “From tomorrow, nobody, including you, the press, will be allowed here without wearing the Maasai attire. This is a cultural week, and you must dress like all of us. This is cultural week.”
Moments later, festivalgoers took to social media, showing off their transformations in culture-inspired outfits, from beaded adornments and red shukas to intricately patterned fabrics, turning what was meant as humour into a full-blown cultural fashion moment.
The festival, which brings together the Samburu, Maasai, and Njemps people across Kenya, not only celebrates the rich, authentic culture that has contributed greatly to Kenya’s tourism and boosted the sector’s Gross Domestic Product, but also provides an opportunity to discuss economic and development issues, lobby for inclusion after decades of marginalisation of pastoral, and address pressing community matters.
The inaugural festival was held in 2023 in Narok County, the second in Samburu County, and the third is now in Kajiado County, which Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku calls a “double celebration.”
“We are calling this a double celebration because we are celebrating the return of Amboseli National Park. President Ruto has corrected an injustice, and we celebrate that courage because it was against the will and wishes of powerful institutions, powerful individuals, and many who have been benefiting from this park against the community,” Lenku said, adding, “This is a historical injustice that was committed against our people.”
“Unfortunately, this land left the Maasai people; until Ruto was elected, it belonged to the National Government of Kenya, with nothing for the people of Amboseli. We got one very courageous man, and that is why Lenku is repeating the word ‘courage’ over and over again. So many Presidents have had this Amboseli issue placed on their table, Kibaki had it, Moi had it, Uhuru had it , and none of them could hold that hot potato,” said Governor Lati of Samburu.
The three governors lauded community-led conservation, saying that the communities living side by side with wildlife suffer the greatest burden of human-wildlife conflict and should be the first beneficiaries of any resources derived from wildlife roaming their land.
“When you look around, you see the Maasai grazing their livestock; it comes with a cost. People die, people lose their lives, and their livestock because of this wildlife. So it is expensive to have wildlife on your land.
Because of this park going back to the community, the community has donated one million acres to be a conservation area.”
Attendees of the festival noted that while the dash of colour from the culture-inspired outfits added vibrancy, there is more to it, including their deep connection to their land and everything in it, such as wildlife and their livelihoods.
