Traditional knowledge forms the fabric of indigenous communities’ social and economic life. Its attempted protection through intellectual property law has been dismal. There is now wide consensus that sui generis regimes should be employed for this purpose, and that customary laws are conceivable as an integral part of such protection. This article finds that the expressed legislative intent to protect traditional knowledge through customary law in Kenya is ill-fated. Sustained inclusive subordination of the latter will obstruct any meaningful efforts to protect the former. This finding is reached by an examination of the historical application of African customary law in personal law regimes that have it as the defining legal regimen. This history is one of subtle subordination, and such subtlety remains embedded even in Kenya's law on traditional knowledge. The unpleasant effects of this phenomenon as observed in personal law regimes are likely to recur for traditional knowledge.

传统知识构成了土著社区社会和经济生活的结构。通过知识产权法对其进行保护的尝试一直令人沮丧。现在有广泛的共识，即自成一格应为此目的采用各种制度，而且习惯法可以作为这种保护的一个组成部分。本文认为，肯尼亚表达的通​​过习惯法保护传统知识的立法意图是命运多舛的。后者的持续包容性从属地位将阻碍任何有意义的保护前者的努力。这一发现是通过考察非洲习惯法在将其作为确定性法律制度的属人法制度中的历史应用而得出的。这段历史是微妙的从属历史之一，这种微妙之处甚至存在于肯尼亚关于传统知识的法律中。在属人法制度中观察到的这种现象的不愉快影响很可能在传统知识中再次出现。