Samburu County is mostly barren dry land and the Samburu tribe needs to relocate to make sure their cattle have enough food. Every few weeks, the tribe will change location to find fresh pastures. The huts were built using leather, clay and grass mattresses attached to pillars.
A fence has been built around the clay huts to protect them from wildlife. The settlements of the Samburu tribe are called manyattas. Samburu usually resides in groups of five to ten families. Samburu men traditionally take care of their livestock and they are also responsible for the general security of the tribe.
Samburu women are responsible for collecting vegetables and roots, caring for their children, and collecting water. Samburu girls usually help their mothers with household chores. Samburu is a gerontocracy, the elders rule the tribe. It is the elders who decide when ceremonies, such as weddings and circumcisions, will take place. The entry into womanhood and manhood is marked by a cìrcumcision ceremony. Men and women can only marry after being circumcised, as before that they were still considered children.
After a boy has been cìrcumcised, he is now considered Moran (warrior). Men are placed according to age groups and as a group pass from one social position to another. From the child to Moran, to the old man and finally to the old man.
The traditional dress of the Samburu tribe is a gorgeous red cloth wrapped like a skirt and a white belt. It is adorned with many earrings with colorful beads, bracelets, ankle and necklace. Each piece of jewelry worn represents the status of the wearer.
Dancing is an important part of Samburu culture. Their dance is similar to that of the Maasai people with men jumping in a circle and jumping up from a standing position. Traditionally, the Samburu tribe has not used any instruments to accompany their dancing and singing.
Fisi Samburu sot
Like the Maasai tribe, the Samburu people are under pressure from their government to settle in more permanent villages. They have resisted this proposal so far, as a permanent solution would ruin their entire way of life. And it will be difficult to grow and store the crop in a permanent place.
