Kajiado Governor Joseph ole Lenku said Wednesday that the preservation of Maa cultural practices and traditions is the signal of a community that remains alive.
Lenku made the remark when he hosted a team of scholars and goodwill ambassadors from the UK, led by Prof Dr Laura Van Broeckhoven at a hotel in Kajiado.
Broeckhoven is the director of Pitt Rivers Museum and Prof of Museum studies, ethics and material culture at the University of Oxford.
The meeting was attended by more than 50 traditional leaders from 25 sections of the Maa Nation from Kenya and Tanzania.
“We strongly support the ongoing deliberations, in particular, between the Maasai through identifying channels of representation and Pitt Rivers Museum as this will present an opportunity for reconciliation and healing process,” Lenku said.
He applauded the efforts made by human rights groups working with Maa communities to ensure culture is preserved.
“Culture remains a significant part of identity for individuals and communities as it forms an important aspect of people’s way of life, and fosters cohesion, and unity through unique identity,” the governor said.
He said he was elated to see the commendable research work done by the Pan-African Living Cultures Alliance, a team led by one of their directors, Samwel Nangiria, in identifying and properly documenting the discovery of sacred artifacts that are presently held at numerous historical museums across Europe.
This revelation gives critical evidence of the negative impacts colonialism has had on many African communities for generations now.
