Narratives of Identity and Choice of Surname among the Luyia Community

The Luyia culture is predominantly patriarchal, where children belong to the father. Traditionally, naming is predominantly done by the fathers, who give surname(s) to the children, symbolic of the family’s identity and/or the clan. This identity not only offers the child protection, but also, rights of access to the family’s wealth especially land which is traditionally inherited by the male child. This system of naming also ensures generational continuity. However, factors such colonization and the concomitant introduction of Christianity, changing gender roles, identity, and mobility have introduced changes to the traditional naming practices. The introduction of Christian names, and preference for gender neutral names accommodate changing gender roles, and they help navigate identity challenges within the community. Some of these changes are not common within the married circles. This paper examines how women engage with the aftermath of marriage and divorce, and how they are able to re-negotiate their identity through naming using the Critical Diversity Literacy theory (CDL). However, within this identity and social belonging, social divisions and various forms of inequalities exist among these women who are viewed to be on the extreme (“out of marriage”) and who are then forced to negotiate for belonging within the community through naming. We found in this study that Luyia women who are either separated, divorced, widowed, successfully assert some independence and empowerment.