People of Kenya

Kenya is essentially a cultural microcosm of Africa. Different ethnic groups from all over the continent have migrated to Kenya for centuries, each bringing with them the distinctive features of their own African culture. As a result, Kenya has over seventy distinct ethnic communities, speaking close to eighty different dialects; all united under the striped green black and red national flag (green for the land, black for the people and red for the blood spilt during the struggle for freedom). Kenyan unity is expressed in the national motto ‘Harambee', which translates as ‘let's all pull together'.

The culture of Kenya reflects a cultural diversity with many ethnic groups, cultural values, culture influence, national culture, cultural identity and ethnicity.

Our children are like the bright moon
Translation: Our children bring light into the home

A Maasai proverb

The Population

For many years Kenya enjoyed the dubious distinction of registering a population growth rate that was faster than any other country on earth. Then, at the turn of the millennium, the growth rate slowed down - at a rate that was faster than that experienced in any country on earth. The initial rapid growth stemmed from the fact that, until very recently, a man's social and economic stature was largely determined by the number of he children he had sired. And, since polygamy was also widely accepted, a man of consequence could boast of having sired maybe a hundred children; often more. Kenyan tradition also dictates that once married, a couple must name a child after each of their own parents; which means they must continue to produce children until they have two of each sex. Add to the above the fact that Kenyans universally adore children, and that most Kenyan women would not consider themselves fulfilled unless they had borne at least one child (into wedlock or not), and the reasons for the explosive birth rate are all too clear.

As to the sudden decline in the birth rate; this has resulted not only from the impact of AIDS on Kenyan society, but also from the growing realisation, especially among the rural population, that today's couples can neither support nor finance the education of so many children. The steady emergence of a Kenyan middle class has also affected the growth rate; many professional couples preferring to establish their own financial security before starting a family; and then electing to have only as many children as they can afford to educate to university level. The changing social structure has also introduced a new phenomenon, the professional, and often single, Kenyan lady; who increasingly chooses to either remain childless, or have a single child - often out of wedlock.

As of today, the official Kenyan population figure stands at around 33.9 million (though the actual figure may be much larger), and the annual forecast growth rate is 2.56% (2005 est.), which reflects the expected increased death rate due to AIDS (over 1.2 million Kenyans are infected with the HIV virus). 42.5% of the population is under 14 years of age, while the urban population stands at approximately 25% of the whole, and is concentrated in a few large cities such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru. 67% of the people live in rural areas, mostly in the high-rainfall arable areas of the central highlands, and western Kenya. In the north and east of the country 20% of the population lives on 80% of the land.

As to the ethnic or tribal mix (the word ‘tribe' is still used both officially and in casual Kenyan conversation), around 22% of the Kenyan population are Kikuyu, 14% Luhya, 13% Luo, 12% Kalenjin, 12% Kamba, 11% Kisii 6%, Meru 6% and other Africans 15%. Asians, Europeans and Arabs account for about 1% of the population.

The Language
Thanks to the large number of migrant communities that have settled in Kenya, over eighty languages are spoken throughout the country. English is the ‘official' language and Swahili the ‘national' language, both of which are taught in Kenyan schools (Swahili at primary level, English at secondary level). Most Kenyans, however, will speak at least three languages: English, Swahili and their ‘tribal' or ‘mother' tongue. Some, who come from marriages of mixed ethnicity, will speak even more. In the rural areas, however, visitors will often find that English is either only sketchily understood, or not at all. Broadly speaking, Kikuyu, Luo and English are the most widely spoken languages, while ‘up country' Swahili is spoken countrywide (in varying degrees of grammatical accuracy), and ‘safi' or pure Swahili is spoken almost solely on the coast. Of the tribal languages, the majority falls into one of two major language groups: Bantu and Nilotic.

Bantu-speaking people
Luhya, Gusii, Kuria, Akamba, Kikuyu, Embu, Meru, Mbere, Tharaka.

Coastal Bantu: Swahili, Mijikenda, Segeju, Pokomo, Taita, and Taveta.

Nilotic-speaking people
Luo, Maasai and Samburu, Turkana, Teso, Njemps, Elmolo, Kalenjin, Marakwet, Pokot, Tugen, Kisigis, Elkony.

Cushitic-speaking people
Boni, Somali, Rendille, Orma, Boran, Gabbra.

There are too many ethnic groups in Kenya to write about them all. So here follows a brief insight into some of the ‘tribes' that the visitor to Kenya is most likely to come across.

The Maasai

The Maasai have long remained the ideal mental conceptualisation of the Western European idea of an African ‘noble savage'. Tall, elegant, handsome; walking with a gentle spring of the heel, seemingly proud and indifferent to all but the most necessary external influences.

S. S. Sankan

After deep reflection on my people and culture, I have painfully come to accept that the Maasai must change to protect themselves, if not their culture. They must adapt to the realities of the modern world for the sake of their own survival. It is better to meet an enemy out in the open and to be prepared for him than for him to come upon you at home unawares.

Tepilit Ole Saitoti, Maasai Chief (Elm Tree Books)

Perhaps the best known of Kenya's tribes, the Nilo-Hamitic Maasai are a nomadic people whose style of life has remained essentially unchanged for centuries. The daily rhythm of life revolves around the constant quest for water and grazing for their cattle. Thought to have migrated to Kenya from the lower valleys of the Nile, the Maasai are distinguished by their complex character, impeccable manners, impressive presence and almost mystical love of their cattle. The latter is based on the Maasai belief that the sky god, ‘Enkai ‘, was once at one with the earth. When the earth and the sky were separated, however, Enkai was forced to send all the world's cattle into the safekeeping of the Maasai where, as far as the Maasai are concerned, they have remained. Brave and ruthless warriors, the Maasai instilled terror in all who came up against them, most especially the early explorers. ‘Take a thousand men' advised the famous explorer Henry Stanley when speaking of the Maasai, ‘or write your will'.

Today, cattle are still the central pivots of Maasai life and ‘I hope your cattle are well' is the most common form of Maasai greeting. The milk and blood of their cattle also continue to be the preferred diet of the Maasai people, while the hides serve as mattresses, sandals, mats and clothing. Cattle also act as marriage bonds, while a complex system of cattle-fines maintains the social harmony of the group. Visually stunning, the Maasai warrior with his swathe of scarlet ‘Shuka' (blanket), beaded belt, dagger, intricately plaited hair and one-legged stance remains the most enduring icon of Kenyan tourism. That said, many a modern Maasai dons a suit for work, but come the weekend, and he'll be back in his beloved traditional dress.

The Kikuyu
The largest of Kenya's tribes, the Kikuyu live in the area around Mount Kenya where, at the dawn of the colonial era, they came into violent conflict with the European settlers, to whom large tracts of Kikuyu homeland had been apportioned by the colonial government. Since the possession of land is one of the key tenets of Kikuyu social, religious and economic life, this conflict rapidly spiralled into war, and it was the Kikuyu's formation of a political association against the British that sparked the infamous Mau Mau uprising of the 1950s, which eventually led to Kenya winning her independence. As a result of their early involvement in the fight for freedom, the Kikuyu have always played a dominant role both in Kenyan politics and commerce, their most famous politician being Kenya's first president, Jomo Kenyatta, who even today is referred to affectionately as ‘Mezee' (respected elder). Perhaps more successfully than any other Kenyan tribe, the Kikuyu have adapted to the challenges posed by Western culture and technology, and their role in modern day Kenyan commerce is significant. Traditionally agriculturalists, however, the rural Kikuyu continue to combine small-scale farming with the growing of cash crops such as tea, coffee and pyrethrum. The rural Kikuyu also prefer to build their houses with the door facing Mount Kenya, because they believe their ancestral God, ‘Ngai', to live there. So entrenched is this believe that The Kenya Wildlife Service, guardians of Mount Kenya National Park, still report finding elderly Kikuyu men wandering high on the snow-clad slopes of the mountain in search of ‘Ngai'.

Kikuyu Proverb
There is no rain that does not enrich someone (it's an ill wind that blows no good).

The Swahili or Shirazi Peoples
The most prominent of the coastal people, the Swahili are not a ‘tribe' but the product of centuries of inter- marriage between indigenous Kenyans and incoming waves of Persian, Portuguese and Omani conquerors. First, around the 7th century, came Arab traders from the Persian Gulf, who plied the Kenyan coast in their dhows and gradually intermarried with the local people. Next, in the 16th Century, the conquering Portuguese arrived, establishing an empire, and intermarrying with the locals. Finally, in the 18th century, the Sultans of Oman took over as rulers, and their people intermarried with the locals just as their predecessors had done. The result was a colourful mix of ethnicity and language, which came to be known as ‘Swahili', which literally translates as ‘of the coast'. Although the majority of Kenya's coastal people are Muslims, their relaxed way of life is worlds away from the stricter Islamic practices of the Middle East. Enjoying a colourful culture, they excel in literature, art, and architecture while the Swahili craftsmen are famous for their beautiful triangular-sailed dhows. Swahili cuisine, meanwhile, is a glorious mix of cultural influences; exuberantly spiced, steeped in coconut and cooked with fresh lime and coriander.

A Swahili Proverb
NDOVU WAWILI WAKISONGANA, ZIUMIAZO NI NYIKA
When two elephants jostle, what gets hurt is the grass!

The Asian Community
The Asian community is important because of the influence it has had on the Kenyan economy. It is a common misconception that the so-called ‘Asian' community of Kenya is the sole result of the importation of some 32,000 indentured labourers from Gujarat and Punjab by the British to work as ‘coolies' on the Uganda Railway (1896-1901). In fact, there were people of Indian descent living on the Kenyan coast for thousands of years before this time, as evidenced by the introduction of both bananas and coconuts to the economy. That said, the majority of the present Asian population are descendants of the 6,000 workers who elected to stay in Kenya after the railway was completed. Hard working, economically aggressive and highly skilled, the migrant Indians soon established a burgeoning commercial community in Kenya, which still controls most of Kenya's retail trade. Initially functioning very much as an economic ‘colony' of India, whose members tended to send most of their earnings back to India, the Asian community is still self-contained, tending to nurture its own rich and diverse culture while remaining largely impervious to African cultural influences. Officially referred to as ‘Asians' since the partitioning of India in 1947, the present community is made up of four main groups: Hindus, (numerically the largest), Muslims (second largest), Goans and Sikhs.

The European Community
Though small in number, the European community (largely British) is important because of the effect it has had both on Kenyan development and culture. Referred to by Kenyans as ‘Muzungu' (singular) or ‘Wazungu' (plural), a Swahili word which roughly translates as ‘European' but can also be translated as ‘something strange and startling', the European community is largely synonymous with the British settlers, who began arriving in the so-called ‘colony' of Kenya after it was declared a British protectorate in 1895.

An eclectic mix of landless aristocrats, big-game hunters and ex-service men, they rapidly acquired much of Kenya's best farming land. They also achieved notoriety thanks to the riotous lifestyle of a very small group of wealthy sybarites who settled in the so-called ‘Happy Valley' area of central Kenya, and inspired the book (and later the film) ‘White Mischief'. Unlike the majority of the previous ethnic migrants, most of whom had intermingled with the local population, the British came with the intention of introducing cultural change, rather than participating in cultural exchange. Thus, though the British settlers represented a resourceful and industrious community, the effect of their arrival upon the indigenous Kenyan culture was profound. British dress, language, architecture, farming, manners, religion and leisure pursuits were imposed, whether the Kenyan people liked it or not. Today the dwindling ‘Muzungu' community is a blend of third generation ‘white Kenyans', temporary business folk and members of the international aid community, many of whom are actively engaged in preserving or celebrating Kenya's traditional cultural heritage. Approximately half of Kenya's European population lives in Nairobi, many of them in the select suburb of Karen, which was named after Karen Blixen, author of the famous novel (and later film) ‘Out of Africa'.

Kenya Travel Information - Culture & Diversity on Kenya Cultural Safari & Travel