ASSESSMENT OF CULTURE VALUES AND ASSOCIATION OF THE KIT-MIKAYI LANDSCAPE

Abstract

Community protected landscapes play significant but often silent role in providing cultural ecosystem services.Kit-Mikayi site serves as a sacred site for the local community and has recently shown great potential as atourist destination in the Western Kenya tourist circuit. However there is little objective information about theunique character of the site and associated cultural values held by the community. The objective of this studywas to determine symbolic meaning of ecological features and assess the linkage with cultural values of thecommunity for landscape interpretation. This study employed survey research approach using questionnairesadministered to cross-section of the residents and onsite observations. Different songs, dances and narrationwere identified, recorded and categorised according to their meaning and features represented on site. Thesewere analysed as dependent variables against the characteristics of the respondents. The results showed thatdominant songs of various types were those of ramogi 34% and dudu dances at 17%. Ecotourism rated high asat 33% as having good potential for economic venture by age group between 19 and 40. Social variables of therespondents like gender, age and education, determined how they perceived the site. Undergraduate level ofeducation (88%), males (76%) and female (63%).