Introducing Marsabit County, Kenya: Oromummaa as Universal Cultural Solidarity in East Africa

As we’ve shared in our message on the onset of the new season’s Irreecha (Birraa’s/Spring’s Irreecha) in September 2014, there are many Oromo tribes who are indigenous in Northern and Central as well as Coastal Kenya; some of these tribes include Borana, Garba, Munyoyaya, Orma, Waata, Wardei and Waso Boran. Though we’ve come to think of Oromummaa as a political construct in Oromia, we note that Oromummaa has also a cultural component to it. This cultural component is a universal ideal that can be used to bring solidarity among hitherto dispersed tribes of the Oromo in East Africa, even those of the Cushitic (and non-Cushitic) peoples in general. According to some sources, there are some tribes of the Oromo (and/or Cush) even in Uganda and Tanzania. Thus, Oromummaa, as universal cultural solidarity in East Africa, will, itself, be a sub-component of the pan-African movement in general – bringing people from several African countries together to celebrate the Africanness that is Oromummaa.
As part of this cultural goal, we bring to you the following short video introducing the Marsabit County in Kenya (Source: YouTube). This will be the first of the series under this topic. Marsabit County is bordered by Oromia (North – International Border), Lake Turkana (West), Samburu County (Southwest) Isiolo County (Southeast) and Wajir County (East). Marsabit County is home to the Borana and Garba Oromo tribes along with several other Kenyan tribes.

Video Narration by Kenyan Qabale Duba, Miss Tourism Marsabit 2013