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Concept
Bajuni people
Summary
The Bajuni people (Wabajuni) are a Bantu ethnic group who live primarily in the Bajuni Islands of Somalia and coastal areas between the port city of Kismayo and the city of Mombasa in Kenya.
The Bajuni people group principally inhabit the Bajuni Islands in the Somali Sea. Many also traditionally reside in Kenya, mainly in Mombasa and other towns in that country's Coast Province.
The population's members trace their origins to diverse groups; primarily coastal Jareer, descendants of free or enslaved Bantus. Additionally, they trace their origins to the Khoisanoid hunter-gather groups, as well as later arrivals such as Arab, Persian and Somali immigrants. Some also have Malay and Indonesian ancestry.
The Bajuni follow the laws of Islam to conduct their affairs. Being Shafite Muslims, their lives revolve around the mosque and daily prayers. In the course of saying five prayers a day, they also wash at least five times. Every Muslim parent insists on giving his child the basic Islamic education. A Muslim judge, or kadhi, handles the criminal and civil disputes of the community.
When a child is born, it is held up by the father, a friend, or a teacher, who recites the traditional call of prayer into its ear. From the moment of birth, the child is instructed in the basic teachings of Islam. Men are the working breadwinners. A woman's place among the Bajuni is usually within the home. She customarily leaves the house only to visit or to go to the market. Her visiting is done late in the afternoon when the housework is finished and the children are playing. The husbands like to gather at a men's meeting place or the mosque.
The Bajuni are traditionally fishermen and sailors. Some also pursue other trades such as metalwork.
As a result, several Bajuni made their way into the Lamu Archipelago on their own. Bajuni traditions confirm recorded accounts from Lamu and Pate that by the sixteenth century, Lamu, Pate, Shela, and other Swahili towns were flourishing.
Official source
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