A delegation of alumni, staff and students from Mount Kenya University (MKU) recently travelled to the Emanyatta Cultural Centre in Ilmashariani, Narok County, in a visit that blended community celebration with hands-on academic learning. The trip honoured the achievements of a distinguished MKU alumnus and gave students a rare, field-based encounter with indigenous knowledge and cultural tourism in action.
The delegation was led by the Director of Alumni Relations, Ms. Virginiah Kinankau, alongside Prof. Kennedy Mutundu (Professor of Anthropology, School of Social Sciences), Professor Mary Mugwe Chui (School of Education), and Ms. Joan Mumaraki (Tutorial Fellow), together with students from the Schools of Hospitality and Tourism, Education, Social Sciences, and Business.
At the centre of the visit is Lari Ole Letoluo, a graduate of MKU’s School of Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Management (Class of 2015), who has become a passionate Maasai cultural ambassador. Lari founded the Emanyatta Cultural Centre to preserve the authenticity of Maasai heritage, offering visitors a genuine encounter with the traditions of the Maa people through its Manyattas (homesteads). His journey is a proud reflection of Mount Kenya University’s lasting commitment to its graduates -support that continues well beyond graduation, backing alumni as they go on to shape and uplift their communities.
The visit stood out for its hands-on immersion. Rather than simply observing, staff and students took part in traditional activities including slaughtering practices, communal meat roasting, and overnight stays in the Manyattas, an authentic taste of Maasai homestay life.
The experience offered a wealth of academic insight. Hospitality and Tourism students studied how homestays diversify tourism offerings, while other disciplines explored the centre’s role in preserving native language and culture, protecting indigenous ethnobotanical knowledge used in traditional medicine, and expanding its reach through modern marketing and artificial intelligence. Students also observed encouraging progress in the community’s approach to education, with Maa girls now enjoying equal access to schooling. A conversation with a respected community elder further illuminated traditional systems of justice – dispute resolution through elders, community-based policing, and restorative reconciliation within the clan – offering valuable lessons for Criminology students.
Beyond academics, the centre stands as a vital economic engine for the region, generating income through entrance fees, handicrafts, and cultural performances while creating employment for local youth and women as guides, performers, and artisans.
The delegation noted that, with stronger branding and continued support from government and institutional partners, cultural hubs like Emanyatta could rise to the standard of national tourism campaigns such as Magical Kenya, drawing sustained global attention to Kenya’s heritage.
Mount Kenya University remains proud to stand behind alumni like Lari Ole Letoluo change-makers who carry the University’s values into their communities and continue to shape Kenya’s story long after they leave campus.
