When visitors land in Lamu Old Town or any other part of the archipelago, they are likely to be welcomed by men riding on donkeys.
Donkeys are the main mode of transport in the historical Old Town, a Unesco World Heritage site owing to its well-preserved culture spanning centuries.
It is, however, rare to see women or teenage girls riding or escorting loaded donkeys in the county.
In some instances, you can spot young girls and babies riding on the beast of burden held by their fathers, brothers or uncles.
You may also bump into a woman tourist riding a donkey, but not the native woman.
Hassan Chonda, an elder, notes that Lamu is a region where morals are tightly hinged on culture and religion.
He laments that women who ride donkeys, horses and motorcycles are likely to expose parts of their bodies, thus offending Islamic teachings.
He stresses that Lamu Old Town is a historical town with its own religious and cultural aspects that should be respected.
“This town is populated predominantly by residents who profess the Islamic faith. It’s always irritating seeing our women and girls straddling donkeys and exposing their sensitive body parts,” said Mr Chonda.
Lamu Municipality Manager Omar Famau explained that the fact that women in Lamu do not ride on donkeys is entirely tied to societal culture and upbringing.
Over the years, the culture of the Swahili of Bajuni origin in Lamu has embraced male chauvinism, with the woman mostly expected to dress decently and stay indoors to cook and take care of children and the home.
“When our women and girls grow up, they already see their mothers and aunties keeping off donkey rides. Once they mature and leave their homes for marriage, they can’t ride donkeys as that’s already against the norm,” said Mr Famau.
Mohamed Yassir observes that donkeys are used for labour-intensive activities like carrying construction materials, farm produce and other heavy cargo and cannot carry women.
Many women interviewed by Nation.Africa acknowledged they do not ride on donkeys because they feel out of place doing so.
“It’s uncommon here, and consider that many eyes will be on you once you do so,” said Fatma Bakari.
Khadija Alwy also cited religion and the conservative culture of Lamu people as a key reason why women avoid riding donkeys.
“First, you need time to dress appropriately and cover your body if you want to ride donkeys in public. You also have to be alert always while atop a donkey,” she said.
“The way the donkey shakes while moving might end up exposing our bodies. That's why we're avoiding such embarrassments.”
Ahmed Abdulkadir Mau, a Muslim cleric, says Islam does not prevent women from riding donkeys provided their body parts are not exposed.
“There’s no place where the Quran forbids Muslim women from riding donkeys. There’s no harm. I believe our women are too tied to traditions,” he said.
“They’re not used to it. But we still have a few of them who do so just for fun, especially in the remote areas but not in public places and towns.”
