Millet meal that was a marriage certificate

By Joseph Muchiri

 In many communities, brew and meat were the hallmark of many cultural ceremonies like circumcision, dowry negotiations and weddings. However, the Mbeere did it with a special type of semi-liquid food called ‘kimere’, which was made from millet.

 It was the central food in many ceremonies. Thus, before marriage talks began, the wife-to-be had to prove to suitors she could make good ‘kimere’. This was one of the top ‘qualifications’ for marriage.

The skills to prepare ‘kimere’ were used as a pointer that the woman would manage to take care of her family. Suitors shunned a woman who was unable to grind ‘kimere’.

The woman had also a say on who she chose and she had to give a sign by preparing ‘kimere’ for the man she had picked among her many suitors using millet only from her father’s granary. 

Tell tale signs

On the day to announce the man she had picked among her suitors, she scooped the millet and prepared the food. Once her father noticed his ‘kimere’ had reduced, he would then know his daughter had picked a husband. 

 ‘Kimere’ also played a significant role during dowry negotiations where parents of a suitor would send a boy and a girl to the would-be wife’s home with goats.

To show they were welcome, they would be served ‘kimere’, if they were not. It was assumed the negotiations had broken down on the would-be wife’s parent were not pleased with their daughter’s choice of a husband.

 To date, in some parts of Mbeere, the symbolic expression of love through a girl giving ‘kimere’ to her lover is still practiced. Only women were and still are allowed to prepare the millet meal.

To prepare it, women would grind millet between two stones called ‘ithiga na thio’ in a labourious process called ‘gukia kimere’ to get fine flour.

 The flour was then soaked in a calabash, shaken well and it was ready to drink.

 Joseph Kaberia, 68, who has been at the forefront of preserving Mbeere culture through Evurori Multicultural Group says a well prepared kimeere was edible, sweet and satisfying.

 “Whenever one had visitors ‘kimere’ was prepared as a show of the highest level of hospitality. ‘Kimere’ sometimes also formed part of family meals,” explains Mr Kaberia.

Energy meal

 Mr Kaberia, who is a retired primary school teacher, says the ceremonies, rituals and symbolic significance surrounding ‘kimere’ are still significant, but many people see ‘kimere’ as cheap, easy to prepare and high energy giving food. Mbeere shepherds ate ‘kimere’ in the morning before they went out to graze and would not take anything else the whole day. The food, according to Kaberia, holds the stomach for a long time.  The food is also said to boost libido. Millet is rich in calcium and iron.

Apart from its significance in marking rituals, ‘kimere’ was also famed as the easiest food to prepare by people in hurry because of its a semi-liquid status and the fact that it did not need cooking.

In olden days, Mr Kaberia says, before it was served, ‘kimere’ would be poured into a big calabash then shared in smaller ones.

“Each person would take ‘kimere’ in their own half-calabash, but in the case the calabashes were few, then a number of people would take from the same calabash without washing it,” says Mr Kaberia.

 ‘Kimere’ also served as an important food in unifying people and clans and in offering blessings.

 ‘Kimere and ‘ukie’ – porridge that required fermentation - were used during reconciliation rituals.

Drink for blessings

 For a reconciliation ceremony, some honey was added to the semi-food and the porridge. Usually, preparations were a day before the event. 

“After each party takes a mouthful of the drink, they would then spit it on the ground as a sign of blessings,” says Mr Kaberia.

 The fermented porridge was important in circumcision ceremonies. The porridge was believed to be ‘friendly’ to healing after circumcision. It was believed unfermented porridge brought some erectile issues that made healing difficult.

“During the healing period, boys were not allowed to take water as it was believed doing so would interfere with healing. They would only drink ‘ukie’ that was believed to hasten healing,” says Mr Kaberia.

 With most of Mbeere land lying in a semi-arid area prone to hunger and famines, ‘kimere’ was the best ‘anti-hunger’ food.

 Mr Kaberia says that a person on the verges of starving to death would be given small amounts of ‘kimere’ to take hours before they ate solid foods.

  “People in Mbeere were encouraged to grow millet. It was the first crop to be planted at the onset of the rain and once harvested would be stored in mururu (silo),” says Mr Kaberia.

 The Mbeere still use ‘kimere’ as a fallback plan in times of famine.