Bajuni Cultural Heritage

www.bajuniculturalheritage.org

The Bajuni are a minority community mainly found in settlements in Southern Somalia around Kismayuu and on the northern Kenya coast in the villages of Kizingitini, Tchundwa, Ishamsini, Shella, Ndabwe and Witu. They are culturally involved in farming, fishing and trading along the length of the East African coast.

They are divided into different clans (Ukoo or Khamasi). Clan names have historical significance and implications for sociocultural activities related to, for example, marriage.

In some literature, Bajuni are viewed as a sub-group and their language a dialect of Swahili. There does exist among community members a strong tendency towards differentiating themselves from the Swahili and affirming their being Bajuni. This affirmation of self-identifying as Bajuni is not shared evenly across the Islands. Notwithstanding these two positions we take the view that identities are fluid and the Bajuni can be both ‘Bajuni’ and ‘Swahili’ simultaneously.