Somali is among the tribes in Kenya and speakers are found mostly in Northern parts of the country like Garissa.
Somalis just like any other tribe or community value and respect their tradition.
In the Somali community just like others in the country, marriage is taken strictly.
It is even strict when it comes to payment of dowry and other activities that are associated with marriage.
Different communities pay dowry in various forms including money, cows, goats, sheep and any other.
In the Somali community, they pay dowry in form of camels and not money or cows.
According to Aziz Hussein, a marriage counselor, camels are preferred as dowry because they mean and portray different things.
She says that camels portray hard work, honesty, trust, and long-life.
“We (Somalis) accept camels because they reflect long-life and a man who brings the camels as dowry is respected and valued to the one who brings money,” she says.
The marriage counselor says that while some Somali give out money as dowry payment, the majority don’t.
The counselor, however, says that things are changing with the modern generation.
“We have places where elders demand money and other things in form of dowry,” she said.
She also says that in most Somali sub-tribes, dowry is paid as a gift and not as pay for the bride.
“In families that are rooted in religion, they give dowry as appreciation and gift to the family of the girl and not necessary as payment,” she adds.
Aziz says that different Somali sub-tribes interpret marriage and dowry differently, adding that modernisation is to blame for the loss of traditional values.
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