Kenya: Muslim Ritual Meets Swahili Culture At Kenya’s Unique Annual Maulidi Festival

Lamu is a historic Swahili port town on an island off the northern coast of Kenya. Each year it hosts the famous Lamu Maulidi Festival, a sacred Muslim celebration, planned this year for 17-18 September.

People come from across the world to attend because in Lamu, maulidi (also known as mawlid) is unique. It’s a blend of cultures, and of pilgrimage, ceremony and carnival. Tom Mboya Olali has spent over 30 years researching the event. We asked him about its fascinating history.

How do you describe…