Of the 42 tribes in Kenya, the most famous are the Maasais who are known worldwide for their distinct culture of wearing red sheets, carrying spears, herding cattle and jumping during their dances. I happen to live in a Maasailand and from my interactions with the Maasais, I have found them very supportive. In 1999 when my family was fundraising money for my mother's heart surgery, some Maasais made generous donations. The Maasais are also friendly and law-abiding despite the fact that they carry spears. Rarely will you hear of a traditional Maasai charged in court for violence or robbery.
Less famous but equally prominent tribe in Kenya are the Kalenjins who have produced the best long-distance runners in the world. The Kalenjin runners, such as Kipchoge Keino, have earned our nation honour by winning medals in the Olympic Games. Recently, a Kalenjin by the name Eliud Kipchoge captured the world's attention when he broke the marathon record by running the race in less than two hours. I think it will take many years before that record is broken, unless some genetically modified persons are produced in test-tube laboratories.
Still less famous but prominent tribe in Kenya are the Luos who are proud to have produced Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States. (Obama's father was a Luo.) It is said that Luos are boastful in their writing and speaking. And I think that's true going by the several adverts I have heard on TV and radio of Luos speaking in bombastic language.
Then there are the Luhyas who hail from the western part of Kenya. The Luhyas are reputed to love chickens. And I think that's also true given the way Luhyas append the word "kuku" (Swahili word for chicken) to the names of some of their men. A good example is my friend Lawrence Sikuku who impressed me in high school with his consistent stellar performance in academics. Sikuku was always either position 1 or 2 in our class right from term 1 in Form 1 till the final high school exams.
Then there are the Kikuyus of whom I am one. We, the Kikuyus, happen to be the majority in Kenya and we are stereotyped as money lovers. How true that stereotype is, I am not sure. (Who doesn't love money anyway?) I am personally so proud of the rich Kikuyu cultural heritage that I sometimes listen to some traditional Kikuyu folk songs that I have saved on my laptop.
And then there are the Somalis who come from the north-eastern part of Kenya. Virtually all Somalis are Muslims. And their religion inspires them to be prayerful. When I was attending evening classes at the University of Nairobi in 2011, I would sometimes see Somali students bow down in prayer outside the university lecture rooms. These days, I have observed how the Somalis who run the biggest supermarket in my hometown of Kiserian, close the supermarket at lunch hour so that they can go for prayers in a nearby mosque.
A story about our country's people would be incomplete without mentioning two races of people who are not native to Kenya but have become part and parcel of our nation: that is the Europeans and the Indians.
The Europeans (popularly known as "Wazungu") settled in Kenya in the early 20th century when Britain was colonizing Kenya. Some of them remained in Kenya after our nation gained independence in 1963. And a few, such as the late Dr. Geoffrey Griffin (founder of Starehe Boys' Centre where I had my high school education), have played a pivotal role in our country's development. Perhaps due to the numerous tourists our country receives from Europe, some Kenyans tend to think that the "Wazungu" like to travel.
The Indians also settled in Kenya in the early 20th century. Many were brought by the British to perform such manual labour as building the railway lines. And after Kenya gained independence, they became part of our nation's citizenry. The Kenyan-Indians of today are renowned for their entrepreneurial drive. They have established businesses in towns across Kenya.
I would have loved to go on and on about the other tribes in Kenya but let me not do so, for to say too much is worse than to say too little. So let me conclude by advising you to:
Before I finish my story, let me say that our nation's cultural diversity has been more of a weakness than a strength since we have had in the past thirty years several tribal clashes that have left many people homeless and displaced. I hope there will come a time when Kenyans of any tribe are free to travel and live in any part of the country. Adieu!
- jump like a Maasai
- run like a Kalenjin
- speak like a Luo
- eat like a Luhya
- bargain like a Kikuyu
- pray like a Somali
- travel like a Mzungu
- trade like an Indian
- and live like a Kenyan!
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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story about the people of Kenya, you might also enjoy listening to a song entitled "Beautiful Kenya" which I produced a few years ago. Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the song.
