Bonds That Tie: How Marriage Amongst Warring Communities In Kenya And Uganda Is Promoting Peace

TURKANA, Kenya, Oct 29 – In a traditional African set-up, the love of two people is celebrated by an entire community in a wedding ceremony that can at times last a couple of days or even an entire week. 

Families on both sides put out their very best in order to bless the union often characterised by a huge feast amongst other festivities.

But on the border of Kenya and Uganda, this special union is celebrated as a beginning of not only blood ties but a future of peace, where communities that once fought over resources like water and grazing land.

The scenery in the thickets of Turkana County provides the best backdrop for such a special day.

Joel Arika a native Turkana is the groom in a traditional wedding that is taking place along the most remote parts of the slopes of Mogila ranges in Lokichogio, Turkana county.

“This is a culture that attracts everybody and it is conducted in a unique background because from here to Uganda is almost 500 kilometers,” said James Lomenen, Turkana South Member of Parliament.

The women adorned in traditional wedding regalia, sing their hearts out as they appease the bridal party from the Karamajong nation, to meet her beloved from the Turkana people, in a union that binds two neighbouring communities from Kenya and Uganda.

“According to our culture, we choose our bride from Uganda. What this means is that we will have peace in both countries. We can even marry from Sudan or Ethiopia but nowadays we marry mostly from Uganda,” said Esther Naragoi, the groom’s relative.

While the women dance around the bride, the gentlemen stand and watch.

Unmistakably from afar, the groom adorned in a hat with ostrich feathers is patient as the ceremony takes place.

The women’s necks are full of coloured beads, but it is one additional ring made of copper, that defines a lady’s status of marriage.

“This is our ring of marriage,(she deserves the necklace)the one she will wear today is yellow in colour. Sometimes they can even wear white ones,” said Florence Lokeris, a friend.

The wedding was formalised by slaughtering a bull.

This part of the ceremony is undertaken by the men from both families as young men dance with a bull’s leg around the area where the animal was slaughtered.

“Once you offer a cow and it is slaughtered and roasted, then you have been accepted by both the groom and bride’s parents. That signifies the beginning of the marriage. Other rivals will now take place at home and visitors must be part of it,” Arika, the groom said.

For the bride, who begins life in another home, community, and country, it is a moment to savour due to the future ties it carries with her.

“Sam officially married off as a hrs from Karamoja here in Lokichogio. Ian is happy because what this union brings is peace amongst the communities,” Lucy Narika, the bride said.

“Why we encourage intermarriage is that when people get married, they will not encourage war. If they encourage war, their own children will not support it. The children will no longer say that they belong to a certain clan, they will always be automatically peacemakers.”

Instead of raiding each other or fighting over resources, the communities feel that the more unions across the border become the new norm, then this will go a long way in allowing cross border trade for livestock and foodstuffs and by extension, economic growth.