The Cultural Process of Irua

1. Gũtua Itua (Making the decision)

Either by virtue of attaining the age of 13 years or by doing the grade 9 transition exams (KJSEA), the candidate declares and agrees with his father that he is ready to go for circumcision. This is a very important decision because the boy must willingly submit himself to be circumcised; he cannot be forced.

2. Kũhingia (Complying with cultural requirements)

In Kikuyu culture, before a man can take a son for circumcision, he must have paid dowry for the mother; i.e. performed the rũracio ceremony. This "kũracia" condition before circumcising the son is not negotiable. Whereas "rũracio" in Kikuyu culture technically "never ends", a father should have at least taken the initial symbolic "mwatĩ na harika" (an ewe and a she-goat) to the father-in-law and they were accepted. You cannot circumcise your son if you have not paid dowry for the mother.

For fathers who are keen to observe deeper Kikuyu culture, a father should also offer "mbũri ya hako" for his son. To offer mbũri ya hako for a son, a father has to have offered "mbũri ya ndegwa" (the first goat rank).

3. Kũhoya Irua (Asking for permission to undergo circumcision)

As per Gĩkũyũ culture, for a boy to go get circumcised, he must have permission from Mamawe (his maternal uncle); the brother to his mother. Kikuyu culture adopts the belief that the maternal side of the family are the "verifiable" blood relatives of the boy. The father must therefore seek permission to circumcise "their" son. To seek that permission, the father is required to present 5 rams (or a heifer) to the uncle. In the event they are not available, the father should present a reasonable "gift" (to symbolise the 5 goats) to the brother-in-law. The boy should not be denied permission under any circumstance because, understandably, he does not own any goats of his own at that age.

4. Gũthuura Mũtiiri (Choosing a Mentor)

For a boy to undergo circumcision, he has to be accompanied by a mũtiiri (a mentor). A mũtiiri accompanies the boy into the circumcision theatre and specifically "holds him down" and encourages him during the painful surgery procedure. The mũtiiri also doubles up as a lifetime "mentor" for the initiate-to-be. It is the responsibility of the father to get a mũtiiri for the son before he proceeds to circumcision. The father should make sure he gets a suitable mũtiiri for his son.

The qualifications of a mũtiiri are that he should be male, circumcised and not married. He should also be well known to the boy and the family of the boy. The choice should also be someone the boy will be free with, so that he will, in future interactions, be able to share his life "safely" with him as a lifelong mentor. A mũtiiri is for life.

5. Gũthuura Mũruithia na Kĩganda (Selecting a Circumciser and a Rite of Passage Program)

Once the father/guardian has fulfilled all the pre-circumcision requirements, he looks for a Mũruithia (a circumciser), and by extension, the Kĩganda (the Rite of Passage Program where he will take his son).

The cultural Mũruithia in modern day circumcision is a symbolic position. He is the cultural leader of the ceremony and ritual. (The actual medical procedure is done by a qualified, licensed medical doctor.)

To qualify to be a cultural symbolic Mũruithia, one has to be, of course, a married circumcised man; a woman cannot head a male circumcision ritual. Secondly, since circumcision is a ritual (igongona), it can only be led by a Mũgongoni (a Kikuyu "priest"). To qualify to be a mũgongoni, one has to be a Mũthuuri wa mbũri igĩrĩ (a man of the rank of two goats).

This is very important because there are several cultural rituals performed during the circumcision ritual that can only be conducted by a qualified mũgongoni.

6. Gũthiĩ Mũtitũ (Going to the forest)

Before boys are circumcised, they go for a retreat (boot camp) in the forest. Circumcision was traditionally done in the forest (mũtitũ). The purpose of this forest seclusion retreat is to "fatten", bond and to physically and psychologically prepare the boys "to face the knife"; the physical circumcision.

7. Gũikia Ndorothi (Throwing the spear ceremony)

At the end of the forest Boot Camp, the now ready boys undergo a ritual of throwing a stick spear called Ndorothi over a mũgumo tree (the sacred fig tree). They do this ceremony before the Mũruithia/Circumciser, who attends and inspects "the guard of honour" mounted by ihĩĩ (also known as the Mũruithia Parade). The symbolism of throwing the Ndorothi is to show they have thrown their childhood (ũhĩĩ) away. Secondly, and equally important, it is to show the circumciser they are big, strong, brave and ready to be "men".

This "graduation" from the forest ceremony is attended by all family members, who cheer on their candidate (to make sure he qualifies).

8. Marara Nja (Eve of Circumcision Ceremony)

Once the boys "qualify" by successfully throwing the Ndorothi over the Mũgumo tree, there is a communal celebration ceremony on the eve of circumcision called Marara Nja. The term Marara Nja refers to an "all night outside" ceremony. There is no sleeping all night till early dawn, when circumcision is performed.

Marara Nja starts with Gũthahũra Kĩganda (cleansing the irua venue). This is done by slaughtering a sacrificial ram and using tatha (chyme/rumen fluid), or ira (white soil from Mt. Kenya), to scatter in the Kĩganda and all spaces that the young men will be in during the Residential Camp. Prayers are also offered for the boys to Ngai, Mwene Nyaga, Mumbi (God, the owner of the Crest, the Creator) to have a successful, incident-free circumcision.

During this ceremony, the Mũgongoni performs a gũtheria (cleansing) ceremony on the boys to prepare them for circumcision the following day. The fathers also get to kũrathima (bless) their sons and pray for them to have a blessed new life as young men. The mothers perform a symbolic ceremony called kũrenga rũrĩra kerĩ (severing the umbilical cord the second time), marking separation from the childhood "mum's boy" as they become young men. The mothers and the sons also have a symbolic "last dance" to celebrate the last shared moment of mother and son as a child.

The last act of Marara Nja for the boy is to undergo kwenjwo ng'ũrũ (a full bald head shaving) ceremony. The shaving symbolizes doing away with boyhood/childhood and starting a new chapter (new hair) as a young circumcised man. This shaving ceremony is performed by the boy's mũtiiri.

There is dance, feasting and merry-making during Marara Nja for everyone present to celebrate the boys' last day "as children". Mothers, women and girls leave Marara Nja ceremonies to go back home in the early evening. The fathers, men present and atiiri (mentors) however remain awake in the Kĩganda the whole night, hence the term Marara Nja; meaning "to stay up outside the whole night".

9. Gũthiĩ Rũũĩ (Going to the river)

Before modern medicine, circumcision was done by the river very early in the morning, hence the term "gũthiĩ rũũĩ" (going to the river). At this time of early morning, the water is ice cold, making it an excellent natural anaesthetic. At the Riika Program, to symbolize gũthiĩ rũũĩ, the boys take turns to take a dip in the freezing early morning swimming pool water before going into theatre for circumcision surgery.

10. Kũrua (Circumcision)

The physical act of circumcision surgery happens early in the morning in the itĩĩri. This is done by licensed doctors with all professional codes of conduct observed.

At the circumcision theatre, every initiate is accompanied by the mũtiiri, who is by his side throughout the procedure to encourage and cheer him up during the ordeal. In modern surgery, local anaesthesia is applied to reduce the pain. When a Kĩhĩĩ is freshly circumcised, he becomes a Kĩrui.

11. Kĩrĩra (Counsel)

After circumcision surgery, the initiates go into healing seclusion. The residence that was the itĩĩri (venue of surgery/circumcision) converts to the Kĩganda; a place of healing and counselling. The Mũruithia also converts to a Mũnagatho (counsellor/advisor/educator). The initiates stay here for a period of eight days in seclusion where teaching and cultural mentorship happen. The Mũnagatho (with the help of elders/counsellors) takes the initiates through the teachings of what it is to be a mwanake; a young man. The values, dos and don'ts and other related topics of manhood. This is the process of "circumcising" the mind (kũrua ũmũ).

12. Kumĩra (Graduation)

After eight days in the Kĩganda, the young men graduate. There is a big ceremony of receiving the newly initiated young men by their families. This ceremony is called Kumĩra (literal translation "to come out"). The "graduate" initiates are referred to as Ciumĩri.

The Kumĩra ceremony is attended by all; parents, family members and friends. There is feasting and merry-making to celebrate the great achievement.

During this ceremony, the Ciumĩri are blessed by the Mũgongoni as they leave, and the Mũruithia confers on them a Riika name. A Riika is an age set. The Riika name is usually related to the prevailing "phenomenon" in the country. It could be positive or negative happenings, e.g. big harvests, technology breakthroughs, cultural pronouncements, or catastrophes like disease outbreaks. Examples of recent Riika names in Kenya include SHA Riika, Covid Riika, Madaraka Express Riika and M-Pesa Riika.

13. Ithemba (Homecoming celebration)

The last ceremony of the Kikuyu circumcision season is an Ithemba. Ithemba is a ceremony conducted by a father to receive a son home after he has successfully gone through circumcision.

A father invites immediate and extended family members and friends to a feast to celebrate his son, who has now come home as a man.

The main purpose of the Ithemba is for the father to "gift" the son a seed "investment" to start him off to grow his material wealth for the future. In the olden days, fathers gifted sons heifers and ewes, as livestock was the measure of wealth then. In modern days money, shares in the stock market and real estate are preferred.

There is also a ritual ceremony that involves removing the pins of the shuka used in the Kĩganda, cleansing and blessings. The climax of the ritual is the father gifting a shield and spear to the young man.