Lamu Cultural Festival: Preserving the cultural identity of world heritage site

The festival, this year, attracted large number of local tourists and witnessed various competitions and races during the four-day event.

Cultural festivals contribute to preserve the interesting facets of diverse cultures as well as rejuvenate our energies to balance our emotions and relish our cultural identities.  

Lamu Cultural Festival, held annually in Lamu Old Town, a world heritage site in Kenya, plays a key role in constructing cultural identity, particularly when people from different cultural backgrounds get involved and thus deliver socio­economic value. Lamu in Kenya has its rich and unique cultural heritage, which this festival helps to preserve and create a new Lamu identity.

The festival, this year, attracted large number of local tourists and witnessed various competitions and races during the four-day event. The key event was Lamu’s most endearing symbol, the archipelago’s donkey jockeys who spend all year honing their riding skills for a riding competition and feel great pride in winning the contest.

In the past, enthusiasm around the festival got dampened due to some kidnapping and killing in 2011 and subsequent terror attacks by Al-Shabaab in 2014 and after that. Despite the security situation being blue, tourists still flock Lamu to enjoy the festivities, explore the town and relax on the beaches.