Top Tribes In Kenya : Kenya is one of the countries that have a unique set of many different cultures and traditions. The Kenyan society is divided into three linguistic communities such as; the Cushitic speakers, the Bantus (67%) and the Nilotic (30%). Kenya is an ethnically and culturally diverse country. more so, the Bantu group is known to be the largest ethnic community in the country and these people depend on farming for their survival and this group comprises of many tribes like; Kiisi, Meru, Akamba, Luhya and Mijikenda tribe which is famously known to have interacted with the Arabs and the Persian traders and ended up giving birth to the Swahili culture. There is also the Nilotes group, which is one of the major communities found in the country, and it consists of many different tribes, which include; Turkana, Sambura, Kalenjin tribes and the Masai. This group of people are seen to be nomadic in their daily lifestyles and they are known to be great hunters and warriors. More so, tourists should note that Swahili is the commonly spoken Language in Kenya apart from English and it is therefore considered as the official language in the country. Exploring through Kenya will give you chances to learn about more tribes that are in the country and some of these include;
Luhya.
The Luhyas are considered the second largest tribe in the country that makes up about a population of about 14% and it is based within the western region of Kenya. More so, this group has over 18 sub-tribes however, the most interesting thing about these tribes is that each of them has their own dialect way of speaking the Luhya language and some of them include; Maragoli, Banyore, Gisu, Idakho, Banyala, Bukusu, Kabras, Isukha, Kisa, Khayo, Marachi, Masaaba, Samia, Tiriki, Marachi, Tachoni and the Wanga. All these tribes reside within the western region of Kenya and they traditionally worship Nyasaye as their god.
Kikuyu.
The Kikuyu tribe is known as the most popular tribe in Kenya which forms up a total population of about 22% and they reside within the central region in the country. More so, the Kikuyu’s are well known as people who are inclined towards money and are aggressive people when it comes to business exploits. However, they are famously known being large-scale farmers of cash crops like; coffee and tea among others. In addition, these people worship a deity who is named “Ngai” as their god and is believed to reside within Mount Kenya.
There are many interesting things to know about this tribe for example; men in this community are allowed to marry more than one woman as long as he is able to meet their basic needs and the practice of paying bride price is important in their culture.
Maasai.
The Maasai people reside within the central and southern parts of Kenya and it is considered a group with a small population, which has a population of about 841,622 people however, it is one of the most popular tribes in this country due to the closeness of their history and culture. The Maasai people have an integrated modern way of lifestyle due to their dressing in red-stripped shukas and their traditional regalia, which fascinates people from the far, and near.
Masa people base on cattle as their primary source of food and they are semi-nomadic people because of their big interests in always finding new places for grazing their cattle and it is noted that the more cattle a man owns, the more they are considered rich. The Maasai families stay in hubs of ten to twenty tiny huts which are enclosed with a well protected fence or bushes which have sharp thorns and they commonly referred to as; “Enkang”.
The Masai people are also famously known because of their height and they are believe in a supreme god called “Enkai”.
The Luo.
The Luo community is also considered to one of the largest tribes in Kenya, which forms a total population of about 13%, and this group resides within the Western region of the country in Nyanza. The Luo people are known to have a good reputation at flossing and bragging and they also famously known to be hired as professional mourners whereby they can be paid to help and mourn on behalf of others. more so another interesting thing to know about the Luo people is that they always remove the six lower teeth of the boys during the circumcision process in order to be able to distinguish the Luo men from others men of different tribes.
However, apart from the above-mentioned tribes, there are many more other tribes in Kenya such as; Kalenjin tribe, Kisi tribe, Mijikenda tribe and many others.
Contact our trusted tour operators in case of more information about how many tribes tribes are found and Book with our tours and travel companies such as; Focus East Africa tours and Achieve Global safaris who offer the best tour packages while on your safari in Kenya.
