Caught between culture and conservation: Why Boni people are unhappy with KWS
Batika Delo of Milimani says banning the Bonis from hunting inside Boni Forest was the biggest injustice that the government has done.
The Boni minority community's decades-old culture of hunting and gathering is now clashing with conservationists who are against any form of life that threatens wildlife existence.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in Lamu County has already come out condemning hunting, terming it a practice which is similar to poaching, hence illegal in Kenya.
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“We won't entertain any culture or practice that infringes on wildlife protection or rights to conservation no matter what. Yes, the Bonis are traditionally hunters and gatherers but their hunting, now that it's not regulated or based on any scientific management, is similar to poaching, hence unauthorised and illegal. They must stop it,” said Lamu County KWS Assistant Director Ahmed Ibrahim.
Ahmed said the agency has been undertaking massive sensitisation campaigns among the Boni people and other communities in Lamu and across Kenya with the aim to have them change their cultural practices like hunting and embrace modernity, including farming.
Members of the Boni community wait for relief food. Traditionally, the Boni are hunters and gatherers. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)
Speaking to The Eastleigh Voice, Ahmed noted that in previous years, hunting or poaching was an issue of concern in many parts of Lamu.
He cited Kipini Ranch, Pangani, Mpeketoni, Kibaoni, Pandanguo and areas towards Boni Forest as areas that were notorious for matters of poaching.
He was, however, quick to say that through the sensitisation campaigns that are ongoing, poaching in the entire Lamu has reduced by 90 per cent.
Ahmed acknowledged the presence of the multi-agency team undertaking the ongoing security Operation Amani Boni (OAB) in Boni Forest as a booster to the wildlife conservation efforts.
The operation, undertaken by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in conjunction with other security agencies, was launched by the national government in September 2015 with a key objective being to flush out Al-Shabaab militants believed to be hiding inside the dense Boni Forest.
The operation declared Boni Forest a no-go zone, something that forced hundreds of Boni hunters to keep off.
“Despite the fact that we're recognising and respecting cultural diversity among our communities, that doesn't mean we shall close our eyes on matters of wildlife protection and conservation. We agree that the Bonis are traditionally hunters but for us as the KWS, we don't encourage citizens to hunt and kill our animals. Poaching is illegal and anyone found perpetrating it will face the full force of the law,” said Mr Ibrahim.
He lauded the Bonis in many parts of Lamu, including Kiangwe, Pandanguo, Basuba, Mangai, Milimani, Jima, Bar'goni, Mswakini, Ndhununi, Bodhei-Junction and surrounding areas for embracing modern farming for their livelihood.
“We want these native communities like the Aweer (Boni) and others to turn to farming and other income-generating ventures that are friendly to conservation. We thank the few Bonis who have already adopted the new lifestyle to save themselves from hunger. Let them know that poaching or hunting is illegal and won't be allowed at all,” said Ahmed.
A Boni woman in Bar'goni Village in Lamu West. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)
But what is the Aweer (Boni) community’s take on the matter?
Diza Doza,74, a Boni elder in Bar'goni, Lamu County, expressed disappointment over the KWS stand on matters hunting, terming such a move as a secret plan to kill the Boni community's cultural heritage that has spanned for centuries.
It is worth noting that the Boni people are culturally or traditionally a forest community in Kenya whose livelihood depends on hunting wild animals, gathering wild fruits and honey harvesting.
Doza says it is impolite for the KWS to stop them from hunting, knowing very well that the Bonis are not hunting just to finish but rather undertaking the practice selectively.
“Since time immemorial, the Aweer (Boni) community has been hunting for their livelihood. The KWS is talking about conservation. But we naturally know conservation and we’ve been doing it. We don’t hunt to finish. We always do selective hunting which is healthier to conservation,” said Doza.
He added, “We don't kill animals with young ones. We also leave female animals, only targeting a few of the males. We also avoid hunting and killing wildlife considered endangered. So, we know all this. They should leave us alone to embrace our cultural heritage instead of interfering with it for nothing.”
Abdalla Tenee of Kiangwe says wild animals like buffaloes, antelopes, dik dik, zebras and others are a very crucial diet to the Boni people.
Tenee says in the olden days when hunting was done freely, it was hard to see or witness Bonis getting sick, unlike today.
“Some meat we used to eat boosted our immunity. We would stay without getting sick for years. That's why when our dispensaries were closed in this place, we were not shocked since our bodies have a strong natural immune system to fight diseases. All this is because of the kind of diet we consume. Today, we're forced to consume meat from butcheries. Some of the meat isn't fresh and causes infection and sickness. We're really yearning to be taken back to our age-old diet,” said Tenee.
Biggest injustice
Batika Delo of Milimani says banning the Bonis from hunting inside Boni Forest was the biggest injustice that the government has done, especially since the introduction of Operation Amani Boni ten years ago.
Delo expressed worry that their traditions such as hunting and gathering might get extinct if something isn't done to ensure they are passed from one generation to the other.
He said the move by KWS to deny the Bonis from accessing Boni forest not only kills hunting but even the other cultural practices like fruit gathering and wild honey harvesting.
The Boni have for decades relied on such activities in the forest for their survival.
“The KWS is insisting that hunting is illegal. But at the same time, we're denied access to the Boni Forest. We can't do fruit gatherings or honey harvesting. As a community, we are worried that our traditional practices might be extinct,” said Delo.
Nana Abuli, a resident of Mswakini in Boni Forest, sought harmonization between the KWS and the Aweer (Boni) particularly on matters of hunting so that even their other cultural practices, which they consider as a crucial heritage, don't die completely.
Lifestyle altered
Abuli reiterated that their livelihoods and cultural practices are currently all shuttered and their lifestyle forever altered altogether.
"We accept things are changing but you can't expect an entire community's cultural practices to be phased out at once just like that. We need time, processing all that. So, it's better that the government considers sponsoring us on matters of training and empowerment. They should even fund us to partake in farming. But even as that happens, they should give us a leeway to continue to hunt, gather and harvest wild honey in our forest. It will end gradually as time goes by," said Abuli.
The community is also concerned that their religious beliefs are also tampered with as they can no longer access their traditional shrines found deep inside Boni Forest due to the KWS tough laws and the security operation that has pushed many to fear entering the vast forest.
"Even if you go deep inside the forest to access our traditional shrines and pray, once you're found there, you're branded either a terrorist or a poacher and you'll be in trouble. We need harmonization on this or else, even our religious practices as Boni will die," said Ali Kofa of Mararani.
Poaching is an illegal practice in Kenya and liable to a conviction of a fine not less than Sh200,000 or to imprisonment of a term not less than one year or to both.
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