CULTURE
Kenya’s ethnic diversity
has produced a variety and richness of cultural forms that reflect
African, Asian, and European influences. Visual arts are not highly
important in contemporary Kenya, although varieties of wood and
clay sculpture are produced for the tourist trade.
Kenya, a country of diverse
and rich cultural traditions, seeks to cultivate and develop those
traditions to ensure that its valuable cultural assets are not
irretrievably lost and that social cohesion is not undermined
in the process of change to newer ways. A National Archive Service
has been established, and it is saving an increasing number of
documents. A national library service board has also been established
to equip, maintain, and develop libraries in Kenya, including
a branch library service. Kenya's national museum contains collections
of wildlife, archaeological remains, and objects of material culture.
The Kenya National Theatre
is incorporated in the Kenya Cultural Centre. The National Theatre
School was founded in 1968 to provide professional training in
theatrical techniques, which include the writing of plays by Kenyan
authors and the performance of traditional music and dance. Music
and dance play an integral role in social and religious life.
Rhythm, all-important, is largely provided by the drum, supplemented
by wind and stringed instruments. Swahili literature, both oral
and written, is traditional in form and content. Contemporary
novelists, including Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Mugo Gatheru, deal
with the social frictions between traditional and modern society.
Visual arts are largely confined to the mass production of wood
sculpture for the tourist trade. Elimo Njau and Ronal Rankin are
popular Kenyan painters.
