The County government of Bungoma and the national government have been urged to help certain communities safeguard forests which are key for traditional practices. Speaking during the pass out of Tiriki initiates at Eluya village, Milima in Tongaren constituency, one of the Tiriki elders Mr. Alphas Ombuya said the Tiriki cities circumcise their boys after every five years and then they stay in the forest for a month to learn the ways of the community.
According to Ombuya, the boys aren’t allowed to move during the day except at night where they sing traditional songs led by guides to collect foodstuffs left outside their home doors and then return to the forest. dded that during such time youths stay in the forest and are not allowed to move in day time except at night where they sing their tradition songs led by their masters and visit their homes and to collect foodstuffs which are left outside the door for them to collect and return to the forest.
However he said this year the situation has been different because of the Covid-19 pandemic but they are delighted that the whole process has been a success. Ombuya said a key challenge they are facing is forests have been depleted and that the Bungoma government should intervene and make sure that every clan in the County has its forest preserved.
The Tiriki tribe is mostly found in Vihiga County in Western Kenya and because of scarcity of land some have migrated to other Western Counties, Bungoma being one of them.