Otiato OpaliIn keeping with tradition, every year, the tribes that lie on the shores of the great lake INyanza, hold traditional festivals to welcome the new year.
From Isambo festival in Budalangi, Rusinga Festival in Homabay, Piny Luo in Siaya, and Kisumu Old School and RnB Brunch, this year, the public festivities have pulled in larger crowds as Kenyans look for inexpensive ways to spend Christmas.
While Kenya's inflation had decelerated to 2.72 percent in October the rapid rise in prices in the previous months has meant many households struggled to finance Christmas spending.
Consumption in the country has collapsed during a period of implementing IMF austerity that slashed subsidies and raised taxes depressing jobs and incomes.
dance and culture
Cultural festivals are offering a respite, by providing inexpensive entertainment, public sports that are in turn attracting larger crowds each year and creating a new festival economy on beach properties.
Isambo
Held over a week to Christmas at Che's Bay Hotel, Isambo means celebration, for the Manyala tribe on the shores of the great lake INyanza. It is marked by local cultural events such as water sports and fishing that celebrate western Kenya's abundance of rivers, streams, and lakes.
International relations
This year the carnival also showcased cultural performances by traditional troupes from global countries such as Uganda, Burundi, South Korea and China.
They expanded the local menu of entertainment with some martial arts and attracted even larger crowds eager to catch the spectacle on smartphones made in China.
Otiato Opali
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