How is the Lake Turkana Festival celebrated in Kenya?

 

Traditional dance

Turkana women and men perform traditional dances wearing ceremonial costumes like these, made from animal skin and fitted with decorative beads. Here they are also wearing traditional beaded necklaces and coiled aluminium armbands.

 

What are three traditional cultural practices of the Turkana tribe?

The Turkana are known for pastoralism, hunting and fishing. They kept cattle, goats, camels, sheep and poultry, especially ducks. Their animals provided them with milk, meat and skins which were used to make bags and clothing items.

 

 What is special about Lake Turkana?

The most saline of Africa's large lakes, Turkana is an outstanding laboratory for the study of plant and animal communities. The three National Parks serve as a stopover for migrant waterfowl and are major breeding grounds for the Nile crocodile, hippopotamus and a variety of venomous snakes.

What does Turkana mean in English?

tu̇rˈkänə plural Turkana or Turkanas. : a people resembling the Masai and living between Lake Rudolf and the Nile in East Africa.

 

The Tobong'u Lore, known in English as the Lake Turkana Cultural Festival, is a celebration of indigenous culture held every spring in Turkana, northern Kenya.^[1][2] The festival is hosted by a number of indigenous communities adjacent to the lake, and is meant to promote peace, cultural exchange, and tourism.^[2][1][3][4] The El Molo people host the festival in Loiyangalani every June,^[1] and the Turkana people host the festival in Lodwar in April.^[2] The Tobong'u Lore is considered among the largest of cultural festivals in Kenya, and has become a venue for appearances by prominent Kenyan politicians

The Lake Turkana Festival takes place annually in Loiyangalani. Loiyangalani is a small town that is situated on the Southern Coast of Lake of Turkana in Kenya. The town is home to Turkana people. It was founded close to a freshwater spring in the 1960’s where the El Molo people resides Loiyangalani means “a place of many tress” in the natives Samburu tongue. It is home to the El Molo, an extinct community and other communities such as Samburu, Gabbra, Rendile, Watta, Dasannach and Turkana. The three-day is a carnival celebration of the rich cultures of all the mentioned communities around the Jade sea.

The main occupation of people in these communities are tourism, fishing and gold panning. The town is home to an airstrip and lies near Mount Kulal known for its forest and stones. The following lodges are located near the airstrip: “Oasis lodge”, the Palmshade Camp”, the “Mosaretu Women” Group Lodge and the “Sailo Bandas".

In June 2008, the National Museums of Kenya officially commissioned the first and only Dersert Museum in Loiyangalani that promote the culture and lifestyles of the eight communities in the area. In fact this was when the first Lake Turkana Cultural Festival was celebrated. The festival unite all the tribes affiliated to Loiyangalani that lives around the Lake Turkana.

Lastly, the communities in the Northern Kenya are fast becoming popular tourist destination due to the Lake Turkana Cultural Festival. This festival is worth attending as you explore this northern frontier and enjoy the myraid of colourful cultures while discovering the hidden treasure of Lake Turkana.