From 3-7 December, the Ileret Footprint project team brought one of Kenya’s most significant prehistoric sites to life at this year’s Marsabit-Lake Turkana Cultural Festival, where thousands attended one of Kenya’s most iconic cultural showcases.
The Ileret Footprint site is home to the 1.5 million-year-old hominim footprints - a significant resource in the study of human evolution. Previously underutilised and threatened by extreme weather changes caused by climate change, this globally important site has been protected with support from the British Council’s Cultural Protection fund (CPF). Since 2022, the National Museums Kenya has worked with international partners to safeguard the Ileret Footprint site which was handed over to the Marsabit County Government on behalf of the local community earlier this year.
With additional CPF support, the project continues to deepen community involvement and building local capacity so that the site’s longevity is led by the local communities themselves. This year focused on raising public awareness alongside boosting local practical skills in conservation and site management.
Across the festival’s four days, attendees explored this year’s theme of ‘Celebrating Our Cultural Heritage, Rising in Unity: Strengthening Partnerships for Peace and Prosperity.’ Drawing on our shared humanity embodied by the 1.5-million-year-old footprints, the festival promoted peace and unity as the Daasanach community from Ileret subward joined fifteen other Marsabit County communities to celebrate their heritage through song, dance, traditional attire, cuisine, and handcrafted goods that were for sale.
Festival-goers – which included Kenya's Deputy President H.E. Kithure Kindiki and the Governor of Marsabit County, H.E. Mohamud M. Ali– were able to sample what visitors and many school children have already enjoyed. This included a travelling exhibition on the Ileret footprint project curated by National Museums Kenya, a showcase of beaded merchandise made by the Ileret womens’ crafts team, as well as composed music and dance inspired by the oral history attached to the site.
As Purity Kiura, Project Lead and Chief Research Scientist in Archaeology and Heritage noted, ‘At the heart of the festival, the Ileret Footprint project demonstrated the importance of safeguarding heritage from climate related threats through shared cultural pride.’
