Mijikenda Kaya Forests

Mijikenda Kaya Forests
Photo by Michael Novins.

The Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests comprise the remains of numerous fortified villages (kayas) considered sacred by the Mijikenda people.

The kayas consist of a circular stockade in the forest, with houses and a meeting place for the elders inside. The villages were created in the 16th century but abandoned by the 1940s, and are now regarded as the abodes of ancestors. They are revered as sacred sites and, as such, are maintained by councils of elders. Access is restricted, which has had a positive impact on the forests' biodiversity.

Community Perspective: these consist of 9 kayas across 7 components, spread along the coast. Local tour operators from Mombasa can take you to a nearby kaya. Be aware that the popular Kaya Kinondo near Diani Beach is NOT part of the inscribed locations.

7 Locations 1 Reviews 11 Ratings 13 Connections 23 Visitors Plaques

Map of Mijikenda Kaya Forests

Community Reviews

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Rita Maria Johnson

England - 13-Aug-09 -

The Mijikenda Kayas are a beautiful environmental and cultural sanctuary. The sacredness of the sites is incredible and visitors are not allowed to venture into certain areas but the birds and the trees make you see nature at its best. The serenity and religious awe of the sites is thrilling and I was very privileged to partake of it. There are no entry fees but a guide has to come from the nearby villages. Once in Mombasa Kenya, one can find their way to the sites which are scattered in Kwale, Kilifi and Mombasa through a local tour operator. I recommend visiting the Fort Jesus museum for more information. You will definetly appreciate the calmness of the Kayas after the hustle and bustle of typical tourist zones.

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Site Info

Full Name
Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests
Unesco ID
1231
Country
Kenya
Inscribed
2008
Type
Cultural
Criteria
3 5 6
Categories
Cultural Landscape - Associative
Link
By ID

Site History

2008 Advisory Body overruled

ICOMOS advised referral, noting number of improvements to be made

2008 Inscribed

2007 Referred

2007 Advisory Body overruled

ICOMOS advised Deferral, questioned the 36 proposed locations and management / protection

Site Links

Unesco Website
Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests
Official Website

Sacred Land

In the News

After centuries of keeping the Mijikenda sacred forests out of bounds, the forests will now open up to the public through eco-tourism projects (2009.12.21)

Locations

The site has 7 locations

Mijikenda Kaya Forests: Kaya Giriama
Mijikenda Kaya Forests: Kaya Jibana
Mijikenda Kaya Forests: Kaya Kambe
Mijikenda Kaya Forests: Kaya Kauma
Mijikenda Kaya Forests: Kaya Ribe
Mijikenda Kaya Forests: The Rabai Kayas
Mijikenda Kaya Forests: The Duruma Kayas

Connections

The site has

Art and Architecture
Vernacular architecture: Although there are almost no remains of houses, some thatched ritual huts remain, for example, at Kaya Fungo (AB ev)
Dry Stone Construction: "gates of dry stone walling" (AB ev)
Human Activity
Festivals: yearly rain ceremonies are held at several of the kaya (AB ev)
Religion and Belief
Sacred Forests or Groves: "The remains of the villages, and their surrounding forests have now assumed a symbolic significance and are revered as sacred sites" (AB ev)
Living indigenous religions: "The Kayas provide focal points for Mijikenda religious beliefs and practices, are regarded as the ancestral homes of the different Mijikenda peoples, and are held to be sacred places. As such they have metonymic significance to Mijikenda and are a fundamental source of Mijikenda's sense of "being-in-the-world" (Crit iii)
Taboo: "The sacredness attributed to them is a means of protection – controlling access and conduct through strength of spiritual beliefs and taboos rather than policing of the sites." (AB ev)
Timeline
Built in the 16th century: "The sites all contain remains of kayas (or makaya), fortified villages inhabited by the Mijikenda people from around the 16th to the 19th century until their gradual abandonment between the early to mid 20th century" (AB ev)
Trivia
Minority communities: Mijikenda (nine ethnic groups)
Visiting conditions
Discriminatory Entry Policies: Sacred parts aren't open to 'strangers'
WHS Names
Untranslated Toponyms: "A kaya (plural makaya or kayas) is a sacred site of the Mijikenda people in the former Coast Province of Kenya. Often located within sacred forests, a kaya is considered to be an intrinsic source of ritual power and the origin of cultural identity" (Wiki). "A Kaya contains the remains of fortified villages that were inhabited by the Mijikenda from the 16th century to the 1940s when they were abandoned ....because of social and economic changes ....(affecting the Mijikenda people (E.g).... colonial rule, the introduction of cash crops, the migration to urban areas, and the influence of Christianity and Islam. The kayas became less suitable for living and farming, and the Mijikenda moved to other places" (Bing AI)
WHS on Other Lists
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists: 2009
World Heritage Process
Incorrect UNESCO 'Number of locations': The UNESCO website shows 8 locations, but #8 Kaya Kinondo was explicitly excluded upon inscription (see link for decision). Also, the text mentions 10 components: there is a set of 3 that has been grouped into 1.

Visitors

Community Members have visited.

The Plaque

No plaque has been identified yet for this site.