Kikuyu

The Kikuyu migrated to their present location about four centuries ago and are Kenya's largest ethnic group. According to tradition, the founder of the tribe was a man named Gikuyu. Ngai (the Divine Spirit) took him to the top of Kirinyaga and commanded him to establish his home there. Mumbi, his wife, was provided for him by Ngai, and they had nine daughters, from which the different principal clans originated.

Like many tribes, the Kikuyu base their organization on the family unit (nyumba). Several families are combined to form a homestead (mucii), which is part of a sub-group (mbari). These make up the nine clans (muhiriga), which are the Achera, Agachiku, Airimu, Ambui, Angare, Anjiru, Angui, Aithaga, and Aitherandu. (A tenth clan is sometimes added, but only nine are counted as it is supposed to bring bad luck to count people, children, or livestock).

Youths who wished to become warriors (anake) had to undergo circumcision. Warriors graduated to the council of elders (kiama), of which a few composed the secret council (njama). The council settled disputes, with those that it could not resolve being determined by the ordeal of the hot knife (the extent of blistering on the tongue was then used to determine guilt or innocence) or, alternatively, by taking an oath on the githathi stone.

The Kikuyu were extremely successful in expanding throughout the area that is now the Central Province. This was achieved through a combination of purchases, blood-brotherhood, and intermarriage with the area's original inhabitants.

The Kikuyu are heavily agricultural, growing bananas, sugercane, arum lily, yams, beans, millet, maize, black beans and a variety of vegetables. While these form the basis of their diet, they also raise cattle which provide hides for bedding, sandels, and carrying straps. Sheep and goats are used for religious sacrifices and purification.

Pots are made by the Kikuyu for a variety of domestic uses, and were also used for barter in the past. Woven baskets and flat trays are made from a variety of fibers, and arrowheads, spears, swords, and other metal items were manufactured by blacksmiths.

Local markets were held in populated areas fairly regularly in which livestock, agricultural produce, iron implements, tobacco, salt and ochre were bartered. Trading contacts were also maintained with other tribes, especially the Maasai, Kamba, and Okiek. Women transported barter goods in caravans and were generally safe and under the protection of a middleman (hinga), who represented the group with whom they intended to trade.

The Kikuyu quickly learned the political system introduced by Western culture and formed the Kikuyu Association in 1920. The Association drew up a list of grievances and delivered it to the Chief Native Commissioner. The list changed little during the colonial period with forced labor, land expropriation, and the lack of public services and educational opportunites being the major issues. They were instrumental in the fight for independence and one Kikuyu man, named Johnstone Kamau, would one day emerge as Jomo Kenyatta, first President of the Republic of Kenya.