Hut Building

In her essay entitled "Gikuyu Industries: Hut-Building," Jomo Kenyatta describes the process of building a hut. This process is used by the Kikuyu people. It is a process that is very sacred to the Kikuyu people, and it is a long process that cannot be completed in just a few hours. This process varies greatly from the American tradition of building a house in many ways. In building a house, many Americans simply pick and buy the land they wish to build on. There are no special ceremonies that proceed building. The same thing can't be said for the Kikuyu people. Before building a hut, a fire is lit on the ground where it is going to be built. Also, there are seperate huts built for the women and men for their private use. In America, this is like having seperate rooms. A man can have his study and a woman can have her sewing room. The Kikuyu people also put much emphasis on a ceremony that precedes building. They have a big dinner and invite all of the participants to join and be merry. This differs greatly from American culture in that Americans don't normally build their own houses. Most times, a contractor is contacted and a construction company soon follows. Although the processes vary greatly, the end result it always the same-a place to stay and lay your head. The Kikuyu people have an interesting and profound process of hut building.