Facing Mt. Kenya

Jomo Kenyatta’s Facing Mount Kenya is read as a work of anthropology. Kenyatta takes the reader through the birth, initiation, sex, marriage, family and death of every Gikuyu. Kenyatta’s primary purpose in writing this book was to give a “true” description of the African culture. He uses his knowledge of the roles of males and females in the Gikuyu society to portrait a convincing Gikuyu society. He also tries to clarify the misunderstandings of polygamy and male and female circumcision.

Males and females both play important roles in the Gikuyu society. Kenyatta displays this by dividing the roles of males and females throughout the entire book. There are certain jobs that the man can only do and there are certain jobs that woman can only do. Kenyatta writes, “…the system of division of labour between men and women, at home and in trades, is very important among the Gikuyu (Kenyatta 84).” Pottery and basket making are examples of jobs that are completely done from start to

Another misunderstanding by the Europeans is the idea of sex in the Gikuyu system of education. Kenyatta write, “…sex in the initiation ceremonies is often misunderstood by Europeans… (Kenyatta 106).” The Gikuyu looked at these ceremonies as the last full education for boys and girls relating to sex. It is easy to mistake these sex ceremonies as a way to encourage sexual activity among the Gikuyu. However, these ceremonies are only to prepare the young boys and girls for future activities. Kenyatta says, “…sexual intercourse between a man and his wife or wives is looked upon as an act of production and not merely as the gratification of a bodily desire (Kenyatta 157).” Kenyatta’s statement shows that he does not want a misunderstanding of sexual activity within the Gikuyu society. Sexual behavior is important to the Gikuyu; however, it should not be looked as an alternative entertainment.

The initiation of boys and girls is a major part of Gikuyu culture. However, “the custom of clitoridectomy of girls… has been strongly attacked by a number of influential Europeans agencies… (Kenyatta 125).” Kenyatta, himself, has gone through the custom of rite de passage, or irua. Kenyatta says, “…I had to pass through the several stages of initiation… and can therefore speak from personal experience of the rites of the ceremonies (Kenyatta xix).” The transition from childhood to adulthood is very important to the Gikuyu society because everything revolves around being circumcised. Kenyatta writes, “No proper Gikuyu would dream of marrying a girl who has not been circumcised, and vice versa. It is a taboo for someone to have sexual relations with someone who has not undergone this operation (Kenyatta 127).” After the circumcision, the status of manhood or womanhood is given to the boy or girl in the Gikuyu community. However, it is not only a transition for the initiates, but also for the parents of the initiates. The parents of the child being circumcised also moves up in the social ladder of the Gikuyu community. Kenyatta says, “At this ceremony the parents

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