Kamera is a traditional fermented porridge made with sprouted finger millet, which is a slightly alcoholic drink that was once popular among Gĩkũyũ women in Kenya. The word Kũmera means "to germinate" in English, and the making of Kamera involves sprouting the millet and then fermenting it. The process involves several steps, including soaking the millet in water, letting it sprout, drying and grinding it, preparing a thin porridge, and then mixing in the ground millet flour and fermenting it in a dark corner for several days.
On the fourth day, the "Kamera Pros" or "Mabundi" are called to declare whether the Kamera is ready or not. Once it is ready, the women gather to pay homage to the "newborn" Kamera, passing it around in calabashes and enjoying its slightly alcoholic taste. However, the traditional practice of fermenting foods has been attacked by the forces of modernity and commercialization, with the making of Kamera being deemed a heathen and pagan practice and decreed illegal by the authorities.
Today, many health enthusiasts believe that the loss of fermentation as a central tenet in the modern civilized diet is the root of many of the health problems we are faced with today. They argue that the body may be screaming for something sour in any form and that coming back to natural healthy fermentation may be one way to cure alcoholism and drug abuse. Fermentation is the culturing of probiotics that are a key to health, and the banning of traditional fermented drinks like Kamera has led to the proliferation of commercialized and often poisonous brews that are laying waste to the Gĩkũyũ Nation in Kenya.
The attack on traditional practices like the making of Kamera was part of the civilizing mission of the unholy 3Cs trinity of Christianity, Civilization, and Commerce. These laws were enforced with a heavy hand to make way for the commercialization of fermentation by capitalist cartels. Today, even the Chiefs in Kenya are empowered to enforce the ban on various homemade fermented drinks. However, there is a growing movement to reclaim traditional practices and to recognize the value of fermented foods for health and wellness.
In conclusion, Kamera is a traditional fermented porridge made with sprouted finger millet that was once popular among Gĩkũyũ women in Kenya. The process of making it involves sprouting the millet, drying and grinding it, preparing a thin porridge, and then fermenting it for several days. Today, the loss of fermentation as a central tenet in the modern civilized diet has led to many health problems, and the commercialization of fermentation by capitalist cartels has led to the proliferation of poisonous brews. However, there is a growing movement to reclaim traditional practices and to recognize the value of fermented foods for health and wellness.