Chenda Chenda rebranded as coastal cultural festival, Kaya elders reject changes

The annual Chenda Chenda celebrations have been rebranded as the Chenda Chenda Cultural Festival and expanded from a one-day event to a weeklong celebration featuring the cultures of communities from Kenya’s Coast.

But the changes have triggered opposition from Kaya elders, who say the festival’s Mijikenda identity and September 9 date should not be altered.

Kilifi Deputy Governor Flora Chibule, who presided over the launch of the new festival in Kilifi town on Thursday, said the expanded programme was intended to unite coastal communities, promote cultural exchange and attract tourists.

She said the festival would now feature the culture of the Mijikenda and other coastal communities.

“The national and county government acknowledges that we have the Mijikenda and the tenth tribe. That is why we saw it fit to rebrand the annual Chenda Chenda festival to include the tenth tribe,” Chibule said.

She said the celebrations would run for one week, with participants and visitors having an opportunity to experience Mijikenda culture in Kaya forests across Kilifi, Kwale and Mombasa counties.

The week would culminate in sports, traditional games, art, fashion and other cultural activities at a designated venue, she said.

Also Read: Kilifi postpones Chenda Chenda celebrations amid venue dispute

Chibule said the programme would also provide an opportunity for communities to showcase traditional foods and for elders to engage young people in an effort to bridge the cultural gap between generations.

“Our people and visitors will see, cook and eat our food. The youth will be addressed by elders so that we can bridge the existing cultural gap and end the celebrations with games and a fashion show,” she said.

Kaya elders reject changes

The rebranding has, however, been rejected by representatives of Kaya elders who were involved in the original Chenda Chenda celebrations.

Tsuma Nzai, coordinator of the Mijikenda Kaya Elders Association, said the elders would not accept changes to the name or date of the cultural event.

He said the county government should organise a separate cultural event if it did not want to work with the Kaya elders on Chenda Chenda.

The elders held traditional prayers and a goat offering on September 9, the date they consider central to the original Chenda Chenda celebrations.

They also called on the governor to offer what they described as a traditional fine in the form of a white-headed black bull over what they considered disrespect towards the elders.

The claim and demand could not independently be verified.

Rashid Salim of Kaya Duruma said the elders wanted Chenda Chenda to remain a platform for preserving Mijikenda culture and bringing the community together.

“We don’t want fake Chenda Chenda festivals that we’ve been witnessing in the past where the community is divided, but we want a festival that will bring the community together and our culture passed from one generation to the other,” Salim said.

The elders also warned against individuals they accused of masquerading as Kaya elders for personal interests, saying such people would be identified and exposed.

Festival’s Mijikenda roots

Chenda Chenda was initiated by the Mijikenda Kaya elders association under the patronage of its coordinator, Tsuma Nzai.

The Mijikenda comprise nine traditionally recognised sub-groups: Giriama, Digo, Chonyi, Kauma, Duruma, Kambe, Ribe, Rabai and Jibana, whose communities are spread across the Coast, particularly Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale counties.

The dispute now centres on whether Chenda Chenda should remain primarily a Mijikenda cultural celebration or evolve into a broader coastal cultural festival.

While the county government says the expanded format will provide a larger platform for cultural exchange, tourism and creative industries, the Kaya elders maintain that any expansion should not come at the expense of the festival’s original identity and traditions.