Reasons Luhya Men Were Prohibited from Entering Kitchen and Repercussions for Non-Compliance

• Different African communities have their own rules and regulations that govern the family setup
• In the Luhya community, there were restrictions placed on family members; some were meant to ensure that everyone played their role effectively
• One such restriction was about access to the kitchen, which was considered a no-go zone for any circumcised Luhya man; elders told TUKO.co.ke why

Men play a special role in typical African families, which informs many of the cultural practices that remain in place to this day.

While most of the practices have since been abandoned due to modernisation, some are still subtly practised, especially in rural areas where culture and traditions remain a key component of the community.

Why were Luhya men not allowed to enter kitchens?

Amongst the Luhya community, as a way of preserving the special nature and role of a man, culture prohibited them from entering the kitchen, let alone cooking. While it is a principle based on the fact that kitchens were traditionally meant for women, that restriction had a deeper meaning beyond that.

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“Men were not allowed to enter the kitchen because of the fireplace (meko) which had a secret, and it was so special that only women were allowed to use it,” explained Joseph Lumbasi, a 65-year-old man from the Luhya community.

Lumbasi noted that once a Luhya man was circumcised, he was not allowed to enter the kitchen, no matter the circumstances.

Failure to follow this tradition would come with far-reaching consequences, including a troubled marriage.

"Cooking places were meant for women and if a man could accidentally enter the kitchen, break the cooking pot or throw away the stone that was used to hold the pot while cooking, it was believed that such an action could lead to a lot of confusion that would eventually break the marriage,” the Luhya elder explained.

Would Luhya man cook in absence of his wife?

But what would a man do if his wife or children were away? Was he allowed to enter a kitchen under such circumstances?

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Lumbasi insisted that no circumstance would warrant a man entering a kitchen. If no one was at home to cook for him, he was allowed to go and eat at his grandmother's home.

Similar sentiments were shared by Stanley Ingoka, a Luhya elder from Kakamega county. He said that with the men expected to provide security for the family, especially at night, it was believed that if they entered the kitchen, that ability would be compromised.

Ingoka argued that the fireplace could drain a man’s energy if he entered the kitchen.

He further told TUKO.co.ke that a kitchen was a place where sons’ wives could rest, so it was a sign of respect for a man with married sons not to access it.

"The kitchen was also a place where sons' wives were allowed to rest and have their discussions with their mother-in-law, so if one had married sons, he was not supposed to enter it because he would see what was not supposed to be seen," Ingoka noted.

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Were Luhya women allowed to slaughter chickens?

Previously, TUKO.co.ke reported about some of the restrictions that the Luhya community placed on women, including not being allowed to slaughter chickens.

Some of the elders from the community said the restriction was based on the fear that allowing a woman to slaughter a chicken could cause barrenness.

However, the elders admitted that times had changed and women from the community were now even involved in slaughtering cows, sheep and goats.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke