Muratina

In the earlier piece on ngemi, I explored how ululations were used to announce a birth and to publicly declare the virtues a child was expected to grow into. Ngemi was immediate, audible, and communal. It travelled quickly, carrying news and expectation across space.

But among the Agīkūyū, celebration did not end with sound.

Once the ululations settled, the gathering shifted. The focus moved from announcement to responsibility. This transition is where muratina traditionally appeared.

If ngemi spoke to the wider community, muratina addressed those who would carry the responsibility forward.

Muratina in Context

Muratina (mũratina) is a traditional fermented drink named after the mũratina tree (Kigelia africana), whose fruit is used in the brewing process. While often described simply as alcohol, culturally muratina was not brewed or consumed casually.

According to traditional accounts, muratina was brewed for specific purposes: rites of passage, marriage-related ceremonies, reconciliation, councils of elders, and occasions involving blessing. A man did not brew muratina for private consumption. It was prepared with intent, for defined social moments.

Brewing itself was a communal activity. Younger family members assisted with harvesting and preparation, elderly women carried out the brewing, and elderly men presided over beer-related rituals. Brewing took place around the hearth in the woman’s hut, a space associated with solemn domestic and ritual functions.

Ingredients as Cultural Markers

Muratina was traditionally made using four core ingredients: water (maaĩ), sugarcane juice (ngogoyo), honey (ũũkĩ), and the mũratina fruit. Each ingredient had both a practical role and a culturally understood meaning.

Water (Maaĩ)

Water formed the base of the brew. Culturally, it was associated with purity, truth, righteousness, and self-control. Its adaptability — taking the shape of its container — was often used to illustrate how one should uphold truth while adjusting to circumstances.

Sugarcane Juice (Ngogoyo)

Sugarcane juice provided fermentable sugars. Its segmented structure informed its symbolism. The less sweet upper segments represented youth and inexperience, while the sweeter lower segments represented maturity and wisdom. Different sugarcane varieties were also used to illustrate learning from multiple sources.

Honey (Ũũkĩ)

Honey symbolized hard work, wealth, and collective identity. Bees were frequently referenced as models of social organization: working in colonies, defending only when necessary, returning to their hive, and extracting value even from difficult environments. Honey reinforced ideas of cooperation, discipline, and responsibility to one’s community.

Mũratina Fruit

The sausage fruit was not picked from the tree; it was used only after falling naturally. This was understood to represent maturity and natural readiness. The many seeds inside the fruit symbolized fertility, posterity, and continuity. Traditional belief also associated the fruit with strength and vitality into old age.

Preparation, Vessels, and Rules of Use

Muratina was brewed in large gourds known as ndua and served from medium-sized gourds called nyanja. Men and women used different drinking vessels, reflecting established social roles.

Consumption followed clear rules:

• Muratina was shared, not portioned
  
  

• The order of drinking mattered
  
  

• Elders drank first because they were expected to speak, bless, or decide
  
  

Refusing to drink muratina was acceptable. Disrespecting the process was not.

During significant occasions, muratina was also used for blessing. A small amount might be poured onto the ground for ancestors, and a little applied to the hands or chest before words of blessing were spoken. Through this, muratina was understood to connect the unborn, the living, and the ancestors, with Ngai as witness.

Parting Shot.

Understanding muratina only as a traditional alcoholic drink misses its primary cultural role. It functioned as a structured social tool, governed by rules, symbolism, and purpose.

After the ululations had done their work, muratina ensured that celebration was followed by reflection, and that spoken blessings were anchored in collective responsibility.

In this way, muratina did not replace ngemi.
It completed it.