At the Narok National Museum, three tribes are featured - Maasai, Samburu, and Njemps. They all speak the same language, called Maa. The Maasai originated from North Africa and entered Kenya near Lake Turkana, spreading south through the Rift Valley, with large grazing grounds for their livestock. Today the Maasai occupy parts of Kenya and Tanzania. They are noble, aristocratic people with an impressive physical appearance and a technology appropriate to the harsh environmental conditions of tropical savannah.
The collection of cultural artifacts forms the heart of the exhibition; it may be small but its display of artifacts is quite impressive, with every item clearly labeled. There you can almost imagine how they lived. A really nice feature is the small replica of a 'boma', that customers can actually enter and walk around a bit.
The exibition gallery also includes 24 reproductions of Joy Adamson's paintings, depicting the traditional lifestyle of Maa speakers. This collection is selected from vibrant ethnographical portraits from her legacy of over 6,000 paintings between 1949-1955. There are also eight B/W photographs by Joy Adamson, all taken in Maasailand in 1951 (Narok, Loita and Amboseli); they add to the historical value of the exhibits.
Open hours - 9am to 6pm
Entry fees in Kenya shillings -
Kenya citizens - adults 100, children 50
Kenya residents - adults 100, children 50
East Africa citizens - adults 200, children 100
Non-residents - adults 500, children 250
I would add that the museum is worth your time, perhaps 30-60 minutes to learn more about this people group. Your small donation helps to pay for ongoing restoration and collection of such wonderful artifacts. When I was there recently, an intern named Benson gave me a wonderful tour and explanation of everything. I was also given permission by Sarah, the museum curator, to place this cache here.
The cache is inside the exhibition gallery of the museum. You may need to ask one of the employees exactly where it's located.