The Transformation of Sports Culture among the Keiyo and Marakwet of Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kenya, C. 1850-1964
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Date
2023
Authors
Kimaiyo, Lorna Jepkoech
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Sport is an integral part of human culture that is deeply embedded in the social values of societies across the world. As an aspect of social life, sport is entrenched within the matrix of culture and shares in the general trends of cultural change. Since time immemorial, Africa's indigenous populations have incorporated different forms of sporting activities into many facets of their daily lives. These included running, wrestling, climbing trees, high jumping and shooting range. The Keiyo and Marakwet, just like other communities, had developed elaborate indigenous forms of sports which not only promoted the physical and mental growth of the youth but served as worthwhile pastime activities. With the establishment of British colonial rule, however, these indigenous sporting activities were significantly transformed. This change is what concerns this study. It examines the historical development of the sports culture among the Keiyo and Marakwet in the period between 1850 and 1964. This study is based on three objectives; that is, to describe the indigenous sporting activities of the Keiyo and Marakwet from 1850 to 1894, to examine the colonial transformation of the indigenous sporting culture of the Keiyo and Marakwet from 1895 to 1945 and lastly to demonstrate how the adoption of modern sports between 1945 to1964 marked a watershed in the transformation of the Keiyo and Marakwet sporting history. The study is premised on the view that the indigenous sporting culture of the Keiyo and Marakwet was significantly changed by Western cultural intrusion. The indigenous Kalenjin warrior spirit embodied in African sporting activities was harnessed by the British and channeled into Western sports, mainly athletics. This study was guided by two theoretical frameworks; functionalism and antidialogical action theory. The former was used to analyze how sports were an integral part of the cultural structure of the Keiyo and Marakwet during the pre-colonial period. While the theory of antidialogical action was used to analyze the contact between Western sports culture among the Keiyo and Marakwet during the British colonial rule. In terms of methodology, this study utilized primary sources of data, mainly archival material and oral sources, and secondary sources to construct the history of sports in Elgeyo Marakwet County. In short, this study was an attempt to tell the story of the encounter and interaction between the Keiyo and Marakwet and European sporting culture. Our findings indicated that during the colonial period the Keiyo and Marakwet warrior spirit was channeled to the field and track which led to the emergence of modern athletics. This study is significant as it makes a case for the important contributions the topic of sport can make to understanding of history of colonialism in Africa.
Description
A Thesis Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of a Master of Arts Degree in History of Kenyatta University
Keywords
Sports Culture, Keiyo, Marakwet, Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kenya