This archive report was first published on 23 April 2020.
Out of Date Cultures Expose Us to Danger ¶
As the world grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic, Kenya is not immune to the challenges posed by cultural orientation and beliefs. In recent days, isolated incidents have highlighted how these factors are hindering the fight against the virus.
One such incident involved elders in Elgeyo Marakwet who attempted to exorcise the demons of coronavirus through cultural rituals. They declared the pandemic was over and confidently assured Kenyans that corona had vamoosed, despite the obvious dangers of their actions. The elders failed to keep social distance, drank from the same beer pot, and did not wear face masks or sanitise their hands.
Another incident reported that the proscribed cultural rite of female circumcision is in full bloom in Samburu, despite the curfew. Chiefs, their assistants, and village elders overtly oppose the practice, yet covertly encourage it. This is a stark reminder that FGM is an age-old culture among certain Kenyan communities, and it was proscribed despite the recognition that the constitution gives our diverse cultures.
These incidents are a stark reminder that cultural practices can be a major obstacle in the fight against Covid-19. The local administration stands indicted for gross dereliction of duty in allowing these practices to continue. It is time to put outdated cultural practices on a short leash and pitting them against education, the greatest equaliser of all time.
Religion has also had its own role in propagating coronavirus. In Tanzania, a pastor bragged that they were safe from coronavirus because President Pombe Magufuli had allowed churches to operate, unlike Kenya where there is a moratorium. Some prosperity pastors in Kenya tried to challenge the restriction on church services, exhibiting 'personality disorders indicated by patterns of manipulating, glibness, exploiting, cunning, arrogance and delusions of grandeur'.
It is time for us to wake up and acknowledge that science and technological advances have exposed most elders as charlatans who purport to be divine authorities on things they do not understand. We can only fight outdated cultural practices by pitting them against education, the greatest equaliser of all time.
