| dc.description.abstract | As indicated in its title this is a study of spirit activities in four selected locations of Ukarnbani. The choice of the topic was particularly prompted by several spirit activities which took place in 1983. Some of these spirit activities caused national concern, notably the ones at the home of Mr. M. P. K., which continued for more than a year eventually forcing him to leave his permanent homo and farm, to go to a very poor piece of land elsewhere. According to Mr. 8.1'-1.1<", a family member, the attack started on 24th December 1902 at 7.30 p.m and continued throughout 1983 and into tho middle of 1984, when they eventually moved away after unsuccessfully trying every method to stop the attacks, Among the leading personalities who visited Mr. P.N.K's home during that time were the then Machakos D.C., some
D.Os, the area member of parliament, Councillors, the ;
K.A.N.U National Organizing Secretary , Religious and Civic leaders. These happenings are related and discussed in chapter four of this study and also in case study three in the appendix.
Itembukani Secondary School, also in Ukambani, had to be closed for a while duo to spirits' attacks.
Discussion of this incident appears in chapter four and also in case study one in the appendix.
Other spirit activities continued to be reported in other parts of the country. For example r1r.J.M.N's
daughters-in-law had to run away from their homos in Mbooni Location to Nairobi where their husbands worked because they were being attacked by some invisible personalities, only to be followed there by the attackers. These attacks cause unhappiness, fear and panic among many people. A fuller list of tho recent spirit activities in the country has been given in chapter one. There seems to be a generaI belief as expressed by both J.S. Mbiti and G.Lindblom that appearance of, and belief in spirits were expected to cease after the coming of Christianity and Western Civilization (See discussion in Chapter one). perhaps belief in and fear of Aimu may have been on the decline when these two authors wrote. But as the survey given in chapter one shows, there seems to be a resurgence of spirit activities in Kenya today. Students' studies have been interrupted, families have spent sleepless nights and others have lost property
worth thousands of shillings due to spirit attacks. Spirit attacks is a current problem in Kenya which does
not seem to be responding to the traditional method of appeasing the spirits through sacrifices and staging of Kilumi dances. This study therefore set out to investigate spirit activities and the nature of spirits believed in, as well as related beliefs and practices, particularly magic, witchcraft and oath. This research employed two methods to analyse the collected data, One of them was a descriptive method which
involved categorization of tho collected data according to the views expressed, before reducing them into general statements. The general statements were then interpreted and conclusions made. The other method (quantitative analysis) involved establishing of correlations between belief in spirits and ,
other variables. The selected variables for this study with which beliefs in spirits was compared were age, education and profession of the respondents. It was found that there was a relationship (correlation)
between the respondents belief in spirits god their age, education and profession. '.Jhc:~t that relationship meant was t hen Interpreted and conclusions made. The two methods should that the Akamba, both young
and old, educated and uneducated , believe in and fear spirits. All this has been discussed in the chapter on methodology i.e chapter three. Two types of spirits emerged from this study. They are Aimu and Majini | en |
