University plan to preserve indegineous languages

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) has stepped up efforts to preserve, document and promote indigenous knowledge, with the institution seeking to bridge traditional wisdom with modern science, research and innovation.

MMUST Vice-Chancellor Prof Solomon Shibairo said indigenous knowledge had for years been overlooked, particularly by the younger generation, despite its continued importance to communities and the country.

Prof Shibairo said the university had established an institute dedicated to collecting, preserving, documenting and disseminating indigenous knowledge to ensure it is not lost and can benefit present and future generations.

“For a long time, indigenous knowledge has not been taken seriously, especially by the younger generation. Yet, there are many valuable things within this knowledge that we continue to benefit from and that remain important resources for our country,” Prof Shibairo said.

He said the institute would provide a structured platform for gathering knowledge from indigenous communities and ensuring that it is properly documented and shared with communities, researchers, students and other stakeholders.

According to Prof Shibairo, preservation alone would not be enough, and the university intends to turn indigenous knowledge into a foundation for research, innovation and development.

“Once this knowledge has been gathered and properly documented, we must ensure that it is also disseminated so that communities, researchers, students and future generations can benefit from it,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor said researchers would be expected to study indigenous knowledge systematically, assess its value, validate appropriate practices and establish how it could contribute to addressing some of the challenges facing society.

He said collaboration would be central to the initiative, bringing together scientists, researchers, indigenous knowledge holders and other experts.

“By bringing these different areas of expertise together, we can transform indigenous knowledge into appropriate innovations, technologies and products that can benefit our communities and the country as a whole,” Prof Shibairo said.

He said the institute was therefore not merely intended to preserve traditional knowledge but to create a platform where it could be collected, researched, shared and transformed into practical solutions.

Prof Shibairo said MMUST would continue working with communities and other stakeholders to ensure indigenous knowledge is preserved while creating opportunities for its application in modern society.

The university says the initiative will ultimately seek to strengthen cultural identity, empower indigenous communities and transform traditional wisdom into practical solutions through research, innovation and collaboration.

Prof Josephine Ngaira, a director at MMUST, said the university was the only institution of higher learning in Kenya with an institute specifically dedicated to indigenous knowledge, cultural studies and climate change.

She said the institute had set ambitious goals aimed at empowering local communities and older generations to participate in the protection of indigenous forests and preservation of indigenous foods while embracing modern approaches.

“One of the most important goals is to empower local communities and older generations to participate actively in protecting our indigenous forests and preserving our indigenous foods, while using modern methodologies and approaches,” Prof Ngaira said.

She said the institute would also seek to bridge the gap between modern science and indigenous knowledge, noting that the two systems could complement each other in addressing contemporary challenges.

“We believe that these two knowledge systems can complement each other and provide valuable solutions to the challenges facing our society today,” she said.

Prof Ngaira expressed concern that many young people, as well as some members of the older generation, were gradually losing knowledge of traditional food preparation, preservation and indigenous medicines.

She said changing lifestyles had seen many people abandon traditional practices in favour of modern products without fully understanding the value of indigenous knowledge.

“Our indigenous communities possess a wealth of knowledge about traditional medicines, foods and healing practices. This knowledge has been passed down through generations, and it is important that we do not allow it to disappear,” she said.

She said the institute would provide a platform where indigenous knowledge holders could work alongside researchers and scientists to preserve, study and, where appropriate, integrate traditional knowledge with modern scientific approaches.

Ogiek community representative Joseph Kaira said indigenous communities should be fully involved in environmental conservation policies, particularly those affecting forests and water towers.

Kaira said the Ogiek, as a forest community, had traditionally acted as custodians and conservationists of forests and should therefore be recognised as important partners in environmental protection.

“As a community of forest peoples, we must be fully inclusive in environmental and conservation policies that are being developed and implemented within our society,” Kaira said.

He identified the Mau Complex as one of Kenya’s key water towers and said its conservation was critical to the survival of rivers and water systems across the country.

“The Ogiek community are custodians of the forest and conservationists by tradition, not people who destroy the forest,” he said.

Kaira called for greater collaboration between indigenous communities, the Kenya Forest Service and other relevant agencies to strengthen forest conservation and ensure policies incorporate both scientific expertise and indigenous knowledge.

He said past conservation policies developed without adequate community participation had created challenges and placed traditional knowledge and skills, particularly among young people, at risk of disappearing.

Through systematic documentation and research, the institute is expected to create opportunities for validating traditional practices,  developing appropriate technologies and exploring new products that can improve livelihoods.

The initiative comes at a time when concerns are growing over the disappearance of indigenous knowledge due to changing lifestyles, modernisation and the declining transmission of traditional practices from older to younger generations.