Fashionable, creative, colourful … these may not be the words that come to our minds at the mention of the Turkana people.
Most likely we think ‘drought, misery and marginalisation’.

As I watch a documentary on an international organisation reaching some parts of Turkana with relief food, I get curious about their beadwork. Beyond the hardship that this community goes through, one has to admit that they stand out; thanks to the brightly coloured beads their women folk adorn on their necks. I am in awe of them. I mean, how do they move around with all those multi-coloured layers of necklaces they have on their graceful necks- which seem incredibly long? Surely these beads must be very dear to them.
Today it is common to see ladies (and occasionally men) sporting colourful beads which are available from shops in Nairobi and from curio stalls or markets such as the famous Maasai market. While today’s contemporaries may adorn beads purely for aesthetic purposes, the Turkana associate them with much more. Beads are an intricate part of their culture; a way of unspoken communicating messages and displaying their pride in their traditions. Turkana women adorn colourful beads that reflect their marital status, wealth or social standing. According to bluegecko.org, the beaded necklaces may indicate a woman’s marital status, whether she has given birth or not, if her family has suffered death, if her son has been initiated, wealth and even whether her husband has been away for a long time.
Mr. David Ekiru, who is a Turkana and a Daystar University student says, “Turkana beads come in different colours and sizes and each with a specific meaning. For example, big yellow and red beads are given to lady by a man to show that she is betrothed to him. Little girls normally wear few beads, usually given to them by their mothers, but the older ladies and women wear many, which are in sets of three or four rows. Beads are also used to tell of a family’s economic status. The bigger the bead and the brighter its colour, the wealthier the family is said to be,” he adds.
According to randaltribe.com, young girls who have reached marriageable age normally wear a layer of beads sewn on leather at the back in form of a special necklace called obolio. This combination of beads indicates that they are of age and available for marriage.
Usually, media reports show the Turkana as enduring great hardship because of the climate in their land. But even on media footage, you will not miss anyone of the women or girls with layers of colourful beads. I have to wonder, amidst the reports of suffering due to lack of water and food, where do the Turkana get the beads to make the beautiful pieces of jewellery?
To this, Ekiru says that trade is the main source of their beads. “We originally got beads from Somali traders. In some parts of Turkana today, barter trade is still operational. There is a certain calibre of beads used in this trade. He poses and adds, “The Turkana are fiercely proud people. The adornment of our women with beads is a sign of pride in our culture. A Turkana man will do all he can to make sure that his women folk are dressed in beads of class. Even if some are not able to take their girls to school, they will still ensure that they have beads,” he concludes.

By Wilhelminah Wabuke