1910. This was followed by History of Kitui by Dundas in 1913 and The Akamba
in British East Africa An Ethnological Monograph by Lindblom in 1920. These
early writers explored the social, cultural, political, and economic order that
existed in Kenya before the arrival of Europeans and their doctrines. Although
the early writings were primarily static ethnological monographs and accounts of
the Kenyan people, they provided subsequent scholars with the text, language,
and categories from which to build new interpretations. The writings additionally
offer a wealth of information that was never fully treated from the perspective of
the power of the oath. These early authors provide a snapshot of pre-colonial
culture, practices, beliefs, history, and cosmology. In other words, the
descriptions and detailed African practices documented offer insight into how the
society operated prior to colonial rule. Oathing practices were embedded into the
societal order.
Although all of these early writers provide varied accounts, perspectives,
and dimensions of the Kenyan past, one work stands out and was invaluable to
this dissertation. Lindblom’s The Akamba in British East Africa An Ethnological
Monograph offers detailed descriptions of many pre-colonial practices in a
manner that could be recreated and re-imagined for this study. His work is by far
one of the most comprehensive and detailed studies of the Akamba during the
early 20th century because it is a synthesis of all of the work on the society from
1837 to 1915. In this work, Lindblom makes several key conclusions, one of
which suggests a tendency for many Africans to adhere to their rituals and
culture, which is consistent with the beliefs of many Africans today. However,
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