Kenya -- Ethnic Groups
There
are over 70 distinct ethnic groups
in Kenya, ranging in size from about
seven million Kikuyu to about 500
El Molo who live on the shore of Lake
Turkana. Kenya's ethnic groups can
be divided into three broad linguistic
groupsBantu, Nilotic and Cushite.
While no ethnic group constitutes
a majority of Kenya's citizens, the
largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu,
makes up only 20% of the nation's
total population, The five largest
- Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya, Kamba and Kalenjin-
account for 70%. 97.58% of Kenya's
citizens are affiliated with its 32
major indigenous groups. Of these,
the Kikuyu, who were most actively
involved in the independence and Mau
Mau movements, are disproportionately
represented in public life, government,
business and the professions. The
Luo people are mainly traders and
artisans. The Kamba are well represented
in defense and law enforcement. The
Kalenjin are mainly farmers. While
a recognized asset, Kenya's ethnic
diversity has also led to disputes.
Interethnic rivalries and resentment
over Kikuyu dominance in politics
and commerce have hindered national
integration.
The principal non-indigenous ethnic
minorities are the Arabs and Asians.
Almost all the Kenyan Arabs live in
Coast Province, more than half of
them in Mombasa. Over 99% of the Arab
residents have Kenyan citizenship,
speak Swahili rather than Arabic,
and generally see themselves as Africans.
Non-Kenyan Arabs, mainly petty traders
from Yemen, are called Shihiri. When
Uganda expelled 80,000 Asians in 1972,
public pressure intensified in Kenya
to force non-Kenyan Asians to depart.
Under the Trade Licensing Act, non-citizens
were denied permits to own or manage
commercial establishments. In reaction,
British immigration laws were modified
to allow about 3,000 Asians from East
Africa into the United Kingdom each
year Kenya has one of the largest
European communities in present-day
Africa and hosts many Americans as
well. Many Americans work as missionaries
or with the official family-planning
programs, the Peace Crops or one of
many U.S firms operating in the country.
With its consistent pro-Western alignment,
Kenya has actively fostered cultural,
social and economic contacts with
the West.
The Kikuyu, Meru, Gusii, Embu,
Akamba, Luyha (or alternate spelling
of Luyia), Swahili and Mijikenka
(which in fact is a group of different
ethnic groups) constitute the majority
of the Bantu speaking peoples of Kenya.
In general, the Bantu have been farmers.
The Kikuyu (or Gikuyu) homeland
is around Mount Kenya and it is believed
they migrated into the area from East
and North East Africa around the 16th
century. They were neighbors of the
Maasai and although there were raids
for cattle between them, there was
also a lot of trade and intermarriage.
The Kikuyu god, Ngai, resides
on Mt. Kenya which they call Kirinyaga.
As with other ethnic groups, the traditional
healer was held in high esteem. For
the Kikuyu, land ownership is the
most important social, political,
religious, and economic factor. They
have a complex system of land ownership
that revolves around close kin, The
importance of land brought them into
conflict with the colonial government
when white settlers and farmers occupied
their traditional lands. Today, Kikuyu
farmers produce most of the fresh
produce that is consumed in Nairobi
as well as coffee and tea for export.
Many Kikuyu have also been successful
in economic and commercial endeavors.
Traditionally, the Kikuyu were governed
by a council of elders based on clans.
The Akamba (or Ukambani) migrated
into their present homeland, which
is east of Nairobi towards Tsavo national
park, about 200 years ago. They were
exceptional traders participating
in commerce from the coast to Lake
Victoria all the way up to Lake Turkana.
Their main trade items were ivory,
beer, honey, iron weapons, ornaments,
and beads. Because they settled on
arid land, they also traded for food
with their neighbors the Maasai and
the Kikuyu. During colonialism, the
British respected them for their intelligence
and fighting skill. Many were drafted
into the Army and fought in World
War One. However, the British did
not respect their land or right to
own cattle. The British tried to restrict
the number of cattle the Akamba could
own and confiscated cattle above the
set amount. In response, the Akamba
created the Ukamba Members Association
that led a peaceful march and protest
to Nairobi. Like many other ethnic
groups, the Akamba have a series of
age sets and the men are initiated
into adulthood at around age 12. Elders
were responsible for administrative
and judicial functions as well as
overseeing religious rituals and observances.
The Luyha's traditional homeland
is around Kakamega in western Kenya.
They are Kenya's third largest ethnic
group after the Kikuyu and the Luo.
The Luyha suffer from high population
density which effects their farming
economy as cultivation occurs on plots
that get smaller with each generation.
They are important producers of sugar-cane.
The Meru are actually eight
different groups of people. They migrated
to the North East side of Mount Kenya
around the 14th century from the coast,
probably displaced by Somalis. Until
1974, the Meru were governed by a
chief called the mogwe. But
in 1974, the chief converted to Christianity
and the practice was abandoned. Also
farmers, the Meru produce tea, coffee,
pyrethrum, maize, potatoes and miraa,
a stimulant popular with Muslims.
The Embu are well known for
their honey and also for dancing on
stilts which is performed by men wearing
long black coats and white masks.
The Swahili are not really
one ethnic group. The term Swahili
refers to different peoples who share
a common link, the Swahili language,
although it is spoken with different
variations and dialects up and down
the coast. Sub-groups of the Swahili
include Bajun, Siyu, Vumba, Pate,
Mvita, Shela, Fundi, Ozi, and Amu
who live in Lamu. They have a long-standing
trading civilization. They traded
with people as far away as the Chinese
for porcelain. They possess excellent
ship building skills (their dhows
trade up and down the east African
coast), as well as renown wood carving
skills. Around the 7th century, Islam
became the predominant religion.
Nilotic ethnic groups include the
Luo, Masai, Turkana, Samburu,
and the Kalenjin. The Luo
are the second largest ethnic group
in Kenya and they live for the most
part on the shores of Lake Victoria.
The Luo migrated from the Nile region
of the Sudan around the 15th century.
Originally, the Luo were pastoralists,
but when rinderpest decimated their
herds, they became fishermen and farmers.
The Luo also played an important role
during the independence struggle and
many leading politicians have been
Luo including Oginga Odinga, Tom Mboya,
and Robert Ouko. In Luo music, they
use a one stringed-lute, the orutu,
and an eight-stringed instrument,
the thum, to produce haunting
melodies. The Luo have a different
puberty rite than their neighbors.
It involves extracting four or six
bottom teeth. This is no longer widely
practiced. The Kalenjin are
actually the name the British gave
to several different ethnic groups
that speak the same language but different
dialects. Some of the ethnic groups
that comprise the Kalenjin are the
Kipsigis (who have produced some of
Kenya's best runners), Nandi, Tugen,
and Elyogo. Kenya's current president,
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi, is a Tugen.
Because of his political power, the
Kalenjin have become politically powerful.
They mostly live in the Rift Valley
and probably migrated from the Sudan
about 2,000 years ago. Although mainly
pastoralists, the Kalenjin have taken
up some agriculture and also produce
honey.
The Maasai, Samburu and Turkana
are probably the most well known ethnic
groups outside of Kenya. The Maasai
migrated to Kenya from what is today
the Sudan about 1,000 years ago and
constitute about 2% of the total population.
Their comparatively small number does
not equate with their reputation and
fame outside of Kenya as stoic and
brave lion hunters and warriors. In
spite of pressure from the Kenyan
government to modernize, the Masai
have fiercely maintained much of their
traditional culture and way of life.
They are nomadic cattle and goat herders,
and for them cattle is the most important
social, economic, and political factor.
Cattle are a sign of wealth, social
standing as well as a food source.
Milk and blood, tapped from a cow's
jugular vein, is a staple. Their traditional
homeland is southern Kenya and northern
Tanzania in an area that has the most
visited game parks.Thus many tourists
come in contact with the Maasai morani
(warriors) clad in red blankets, red
ochre covering their heads and carrying
spears and clubs as well as Maasai
women wearing colorful beads. The
Maasai help to manage and maintain
the Maasai Mara National Park and
receive a percentage of the park fees.
The Samburu are closely related
to the Maasai and their traditional
homeland is around Maralal in Northern
Central Kenya. Like the Maasai their
morani prefer red blankets,
use red ochre to decorate their heads
and the women wear beaded jewelry.
They also tend cattle and goats, but
it is cattle which is the center of
Samburu social, political, and economic
life. The Samburu are still nomadic
people and when pasture becomes scarce
in this semi-arid land, they pack
up their manyattas (small settlements)
on camels and move to better pastures.
The Turkana are closely related
to the Maasai and the Samburu. They
have a reputation as fierce warriors.
Although they keep goats, sheep and
camels, cattle is the most important
component of Turkana life. Their diet
consists mainly of milk and blood.
The Turkana live in Northern Kenya,
near Lake Turkana on arid land. Like
many other ethnic groups in Africa,
Turkana men have several wives. However,
the Turkana have a three year wedding
ceremony that ends after the first
child is weaned.
The Maasai, Samburu and Turkana practice
cattle rustling. Law enforcement officials
tend to stay clear of disputes arising
between and within groups. Disputes
are settled by elders and often the
guilty person is fined cattle, goats,
camels, or sheep.
Cushitic speaking people comprise
a small minority of Kenya's population.
They include the following ethnic
groups: Somali, El Molo, Boran,
Burji Dassenich, Gabbra, Orma, Sakuye,
Boni, Wata, Yaaka, Daholo, Rendille,
and Galla. The Somali tend large
herds of cattle, goats, sheep, and
camels in the dry, arid lands of Northern
Kenya. They are politically well organized
and are united by both family allegiances
and political treaties. The Somali
also produce exquisitely carved headrests
and woven artifacts.
group
|
%
|
language
|
area
|
group
|
%
|
language
|
area
|
Kikuyu
|
20.12
|
Bantu
|
Central
|
Samburu
|
0.50
|
Paranilotic
|
Rift
Valley
|
Luo
|
13.91
|
Nilotic
|
Nyanza
|
Tharaka
|
0.45
|
Bantu
|
Eastern
|
Luhya
|
13.28
|
Bantu
|
Western
|
Mbere
|
0.45
|
Bantu
|
Eastern
|
Kamba
|
10.95
|
Bantu
|
Eastern
|
Pokomo
|
0.32
|
Bantu
|
Coast
|
Kalenjin
|
10.88
|
Paranilotic
|
Rift
Valley
|
Boran
|
0.31
|
Cushitic
|
Eastern
|
Kisii
|
6.41
|
Bantu
|
Nyanza
|
Bajun
|
0.22
|
Bantu
|
Coast
|
Meru
|
5.07
|
Bantu
|
Eastern
|
Nderobo
|
0.19
|
Paranilotic
|
Rift
Valley
|
Mijikenda
|
4.76
|
Bantu
|
Coast
|
Rendille
|
0.17
|
Ushitic
|
Eastern
|
Somali
|
2.29
|
Cushitic
|
Northeastern
|
Orma
|
0.15
|
Cushitic
|
Coast
|
Turkana
|
1.86
|
Paranilotic
|
Rift
Valley
|
Gabbra
|
0.15
|
Cushitic
|
Eastern
|
Masai
|
1.42
|
Paranilotic
|
Rift
Valley
|
Swahili
|
0.09
|
Bantu
|
Coast
|
Embu
|
1.08
|
Bantu
|
Eastern
|
Njemps
|
0.06
|
Paranilotic
|
Rift
Valley
|
Taita
|
1.00
|
Bantu
|
Coast
|
Taveta
|
0.06
|
Bantu
|
Coast
|
Iteso
|
0.78
|
Paranilotic
|
Western
|
Sakuya
|
0.04
|
Cushitic
|
Eastern
|
Kuria
|
0.54
|
Bantu
|
Nyanza
|
Bani
& Sanye
|
0.07
|
Cushitic
|
Coast
|
Source:
Kurian, George Thomas 1992. Encyclopedia
of the Third World, fourth edition,
volume III, Facts on File: New York,
N.Y., p. 970.
For
Further Reading:
Beech,
Mervyn W. H. 1911. The Suk, Their
Language and Folklore. Oxford:
Clarendon Press.
Browne,
G. St. J. Orde. 1925. The Vanishing
Tribes of Kenya. Philadelphia:
J.B. Lippincot.
Fadiman,
Jeffrey A. 1993. When We Began,
There Were Witchmen: An Oral History
of Mount
Kenya.
Berkeley and Los Angeles: University
of California Press.
Fish,
Burnette C. and Gerald W. Fish. 1995.
Kalenjin Heritage: Traditional
and Socail Practices. Kericho,
Kenya: African Gospel Church.
Hollis,
A. C. 1905. The Maasai, Their Language
and Folklore. Oxford: Clarendon
Press.
Hollis,
A. C. 1909. The Nandi, Their Language
and Folklore. Oxford: Clarendon
Press.
Massam,
J. A. 1927. The Cliff Dwellers
of Kenya. London: Seeley Service
Company Limited.
Routledge,
W. Scoresby, and Katherine Routledge.
1910. With a Pre-Historic People:
The Akikuyu
of
British East Africa. London: Edward
Arnold.
Resources researched
by
Abdelaziz Marhoum, & David A. Samper
|