Kaya elders in Kilifi County have demanded that the National Museums of Kenya return traditional religious relics.
The community said the vigango in their possession was causing harm to the Mijikenda community.
The elders of the ‘GOHU’ or traditional ritualist group, led by the chairman of the Malindi District Cultural Association (MADCA), Emmanuel Mnyaya, claimed that the government was illegally withholding the artefacts in order to generate income from Mijikenda ancestors who they believe reside in the artefacts.
They are also seeking reparations from the British government, which returned the artefacts two years ago, claiming that the spirits of their ancestors were forced to travel to an unknown nation and were imprisoned in museums like slaves.
Mnyaya said that replacing the vigango from homes was a very expensive and tedious process that required a lot of rituals.
Kiponda Mwagandi, another Gohu elder said that the artefacts were now being stored at NMK museums in Mombasa and Kilifi, a thing that still hurts the Mijikenda community.
Although they acknowledged that most community members no longer believe in ancestors, the artefacts when received will be stored in a religious place somewhere in the Kaya forests.
