Day 24, meeting the people of kenya

Now that we have learnt some Swahili...off we go to meet some of the flamboyant people of Kenya ......Jambo..

Some of the groups here are


Kikuyu (Agĩkũyũ) 20.78 %

Did you know that the Kikuyu are Kenya's most populous ethnic group?? They refer to themselves as the Agikuyu people. Colonization eroded many traditional practices and values, although the language has survived and continues to evolve.

Many Kikuyu have moved from their traditional homeland to the cities and around the world to look for opportunities. They have also moved to other parts of the country and the world due to intermarriage, business opportunities, study, and generally seeking better prospects in life.

Samburu 0.50 %
The Samburu are an ethnic group in north central Kenya that are related to but distinct from the Maasai.

They are semi-nomadic pastoralists who herd mainly cattle but also keep sheep, goats and camels.

and now to meet the Maasai who make up 1.76 %

The Maasai are an indigenous African ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Due to their distinctive customs and dress and residence near the many game parks of East Africa, they are among the most well known of African ethnic groups. They speak Maa, Swahili and English.

Maasai are pastoralist and have resisted the urging of the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. They have demanded grazing rights to many of the national parks in both countries.The Maasai stood against slavery and lived alongside most wild animals with an aversion to eating game and birds. Maasai land now has East Africa's finest game areas.

Maasai society is strongly patriarchal in nature with elder men, sometimes joined by retired elders, deciding most major matters for each Maasai group.

The Maasai are monotheistic, and they call God Enkai or Engai.

Traditional Maasai lifestyle centers around their cattle which constitutes the primary source of food. The measure of a man's wealth is in terms of cattle and children.
A herd of 50 cattle is respectable, and the more children the better.

They have graciously invited us to watch them dance:-)

Eunoto, the coming of age ceremony of the warrior, can involve ten or more days of singing, dancing and ritual, and perform the adumu meaning "To jump up and down in a dance"

A circle is formed by the warriors, and one or two at a time will enter the center to begin jumping while maintaining a narrow posture, never letting their heels touch the ground. Members of the group may raise the pitch of their voices based on the height of the jump.