Long before smartphones and imported board games found their way into Kenyan homes, communities gathered under trees, along verandas, and in open courtyards to test their wits against one another. The history of indigenous board games in Kenya is rooted in everyday life, where seeds and stones became counters and the earth itself could serve as a game board.
Many of these games belong to the wider African mancala family, yet they developed distinct local rules, names, and cultural meanings shaped by the communities who played them. They were not simply pastimes. They sharpened memory, strengthened social bonds, and quietly trained generations in strategy, patience, and mental agility.
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Bao (Swahili Coast Classic)
Bao is the most famous traditional board game associated with Kenya, especially along the Swahili coast and islands like Lamu and Mombasa. It’s part of the broader mancala family, played on boards with rows of pits where players sow and capture seeds or stones.
Coastal communities historically treated mastery of Bao as a mark of intelligence and maturity.
Players often gathered in public spaces to play socially or competitively, and ornate carved boards became a distinctive art form in coastal culture.
There are several variants, including:
- Bao la Kiswahili (complex and strategic)
- Bao la Kete (played in Lamu archipelago)
Indigenous Games in Kenya #2: Shisima (Kenyan Abstract Strategy Game)
Shisima is a distinctly Kenyan two-player strategy game often compared to tic-tac-toe or three-men’s morris, but with movement rather than simple placement.
The board is an octagon with a central point and eight outer points.
Each player has three pieces and tries to form a straight line of three that passes through the center.
The name “Shisima” refers to a body of water, and the game pieces are metaphorically likened to water insects moving quickly across a lake surface.
This game is often highlighted as uniquely Kenyan in global discussions of indigenous games.
Inland Mancala Traditions (Regional Variants)
Kiothi (Meru Communities)
Kiothi is a mancala variant played among the Meru people.
It uses two rows of pits and relay sowing mechanics similar to Bao but with different capture rules and starting setups.
The name comes from a verb meaning “to place,” referring to the act of distributing seeds during play.
Giuthi (Kikuyu and Embu Regions)
Giuthi is another Kenyan mancala game played by communities such as the Kikuyu and Embu.
Traditionally, players used beans or stones and dug holes directly into the ground rather than using manufactured boards.
This reflects how many indigenous games were embedded in everyday rural life and didn’t require specialized equipment.
Mbothe (Pokomo people)
Mbothe comes from the Pokomo along the Tana River.
Like many African mancala games, it was often played using pits dug into the soil and stones as counters.
Its rules include unique constraints around pits containing two stones, giving it a distinctive tactical feel within the mancala family.
Maasai mancala games (shared with Tanzania)
Games such as Endodoi and Enkeshui are played by Maasai communities across Kenya and northern Tanzania. These use rows of holes and rapid sowing gameplay that can be difficult for observers to follow.
Cultural Role of Indigenous Board Games in Kenya
1. Social bonding
These games were often played in communal settings such as village squares, verandas, or under trees. Bao, for example, historically functioned as both entertainment and social gathering.
Indigenous Animal Games Kenya Traditional
Indigenous animal games in Kenya are a lesser-known but important part of traditional play culture. Unlike board games such as mancala variants, these games are usually physical, imaginative, and rooted in observation of wildlife. Many were played outdoors by children and young people and were closely tied to everyday life in communities where animals were central to survival, storytelling, and identity.
One of the most widely referenced categories is imitation-based games, where players mimic animal movement. For example, some communities had antelope-style games where children leapt and sprinted in open fields to imitate the speed and agility of wild antelope. These games were especially valued for developing coordination and stamina. In Kalenjin areas, frog-style jumping games were played, where children crouched and leapt like frogs, strengthening balance and leg power.
Monkey-inspired games were also common. In these, children climbed trees, swung from branches, or balanced along logs, imitating primate movement. These games doubled as informal training in agility and spatial awareness, especially in rural settings where tree climbing was part of everyday life. Similarly, lizard-style games focused on stealth and flexibility, encouraging players to move low to the ground and react quickly, echoing the quick reflexes needed in hunting or herding environments.
Some traditional Kenyan animal games were more cognitive than physical. A well-known example is Nyama Nyama, a quick-response group game centered on animals and food knowledge. A leader calls out animals, and players must instantly decide whether the animal is edible and respond correctly. The game tested reflexes but also cultural knowledge, since ideas about edible animals vary between communities.
Another popular traditional game is Mbube Mbube, often translated as “Lion, Lion.” In this group game, one player takes the role of a lion while others act as prey. The lion may be blindfolded, adding tension and excitement as players shout clues or move around. Beyond entertainment, the game reinforces ideas about predator-prey dynamics and teamwork.
In some Kenyan communities, animal games also overlapped with role-play and mock hunting. Boys in pastoral and fishing societies sometimes staged simulated hunts using sticks or stones as pretend weapons. These activities were not just play but preparation, helping younger members learn coordination, planning, and cooperation in environments where hunting and herding were culturally significant.