Kikuyu (volk)

Kikuyuvrouw in traditional costume

Kikuyu or Gikuyu is a largely nomadic population in Africa. It is the largest ethnic group in Kenya: more than 4.5 million Kenyans (about 20% of the total population of the country) belong. The Kikuyu live mainly in the fertile central highlands of the country, sometimes called informal Kikuyu land. This area is part of the Great Slenk.

Origin

Although the exact origin is uncertain, many ethnologists believe that the Kikuyu drew around to the north and west of Kenya around 1500 and settled there. They were originally hunter-gatherers, but they also kept cattle, which migrated to different parts of the country over the seasons. History

The Kikuyu had a good relationship with the Masai, a neighboring people, with which they acted a lot. However, colonialism disturbed this good relationship. From 1880, the British settled on the coast of the continent and built a railroad from the coast to Lake Victoria, in the middle of Kikuyuland. They confiscated the land of the Kikuyu, so they had to move to other, less fertile areas.

The Kikuyu was the most active ethnic group in the struggle for Kenyan independence. Already in the 1920s, they organized resistance to colonial power.

Jomo Kenyatta and his son Uhuru the first resp. Fourth President of Kenya are Kikuyu. Language

The Kikuyu speak a Bantu language called Gikuyu. Religion

The Kikuyu religion is monotheistic: there is one god called Ngai, the same god honored by the Masai and Kamba. However, there are also many Kikuyu's who are Christian.

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