This archive report was first published on 22 June 2021.
June 22, 2021, marked a significant day for the Turkana community as they continue to grapple with the decline of their traditional wrist knife, abarait. The introduction of modern knives and lack of materials to make an abarait has slowly killed the profession of blacksmiths in Lodwar town.
According to Peter Etelej, a local artisan in California market, Lodwar town, the demand for abarait and other traditional artefacts has dropped to an all-time low. Etelej, who has been an artisan for 17 years, says he has been able to educate his children and feed his family through the profession.
However, he says with people embracing the western culture, the demand for abarait has dropped significantly. Etelej says in the past, abarait used to cost between Sh1,500 and Sh2,000, but currently one can get it at Sh300.
David Lokol, a resident, says abarait is also used in carving the traditional stool used by Turkana men, especially during meetings. Lokol says anyone without abarait on his wrist is considered a non-member of the Turkana community, or he's a Turkana man who doesn't know much about their traditions.
According to Turkana customs, it is forbidden to kill using the wrist knife and anyone who commits such a crime risks being considered an outcast. Kichikio Ekaal, a resident of Loima, says in case of a fight, the locals are only allowed to use sticks locally known as aburi.
Ekaran Abok, 75, an elder in Nawoitorong, says culprits who kill using the knife are usually taken before the elders to face the consequences of their crime. Abok says it is their role as elders to take action when one commits such a crime.
