Mijikenda Sacred Forests turned out to be one of the trickier ones to plan a visit to on your own. There are few helpful reviews or other visitor information online — and most available information focuses on Kaya Kinondo, which, as Els pointed out, isn’t part of the UNESCO inscription.

So our plan was to just to go to one and hope we could figure things out as we went. We had our own vehicle and set off from Mida Creek/Watamu in the morning, Our plan was to try for a visit to one out of three of the kayas located in a row, closest to Mombasa.

Our first stop was Kaya Kambe. The forest itself  — a dense green forest on a hill, easy to spot as it stands out from surrounding agricultural land. But there were no signs or visitor information. We asked around in the nearby village and were eventually directed to one of the forest keepers, who showed up after a short wait.

We politely asked if it was possible to visit the forest. He hesitated, saying he wished we had called ahead so he could have prepared a proper visit. He mentioned his number could be found via the Kilifi Museum.

Still, he was a kind and welcoming man and simply said: “Okay, let’s go!”

We walked with him into the forest, arriving at a cluster of small huts used for preparing rituals and gatherings. He explained the significance of the kaya.  He told us that he was just an apprentice, learning from the elders. His interest came from his grandfather, who had also been a forest keeper.

The word “kaya” comes from the Mijikenda languages and means “home” or “village.” Originally, a kaya was a fortified settlement deep in the forest, unique to each of the Mijikenda communities. After people moved out, the kayas remained sacred. Kambe, for example, is tied to a community of about 800 people. He told us that the forest keepers — a council of elders — visit the sacred forest every Friday.

He expressed concern that younger generations were losing interest in traditional beliefs and practices and that nearby mine and agriculture slowly make pressure to forest boundaries. 

We were not allowed into the deepest parts of the forest — those are reserved for elders and local villagers only. But after our time by the ritual huts, he led us on a trail that circled the forest, about 2- 3 km long. The full visit took between an hour- an hour and a half. We gave him 2,000 KES as a thank-you, which he seemed very happy with.

Mission accomplished — we were satisfied with our experience and decided not to continue to the next two kayas, instead heading on toward Mombasa.

Practical Tips

Originally, we had our best hopes set on Kaya Rabai, especially since there’s a museum nearby. We figured that even if we didn’t find anything at the forest itself, the nearby museum could help arrange a visit. 

The man we met at Kaya Kambe confirmed this: if you want to visit Kambe kaya, the Kilifi Museum has contact information for local forest keepers and can help facilitate access.

From our experience: A visit is possible even if you just show up.  Be flexible and ask locally. If you show respect and curiosity, you’re likely to be welcomed.