Stories by “Babu” – Samburu Research

July 2, 2023 William Rubel Projects, Stories by "Babu"

Kenyan Stories by Babu. The Thief’s Hand

Babu, whose given name is Donald Zakao, is a storyteller living in Wamba, Kenya. Babu means “grandfather.” Donald has been called “Babu” since he was four years old. A gifted story teller, “The Thief’s Hand,” is a good example of his craft. I recorded this story in the 1990s.

Violent! Yes.

Samburu County is a region in the north of Kenya, largely populated by the Samburu tribe, a group of nomadic pastoralists closely related to the Maasai, living a traditional life on common land. The Samburu speak northern Maa, though everyone speaks Swahili, and everyone who has been to school also speaks English. The area is changing very rapidly, with traditional culture practices declining rapidly. Climate change, manifested as deeper and more frequent droughts, compounded by overgrazing, has decimated the Samburu Lowlands savannah grasslands. Cows, the most prized animal, can no longer be supported.

Samburu Research is an American organization with Kenyan partners, formed by William Rubel in collaboration with local Samburu friends and colleagues. Together, we work with local communities to research and document Samburu culture for the benefit of current and future generations, and to communicate those research outputs to the local community as well as to the outside world.