Tribes

Tribes

There are more than 70 tribal groups in Kenya. The tribe most people have heard of is the Maasai, but this tribe actually makes up no more than 5% of the population. 20% of Kenyans are descended from the Kikuyu tribe. There are also many Kenyans of Asian origin, whose ancestors were brought there as workers by the British in the 19th century.

Nowadays, tribal boundaries are less clear due to migration and urbanisation, but cultural heritage is still important to Kenyans. Different tribes have different traditions and beliefs, especially when it comes to issues like religion and FGM, and often have distinctive languages and musical traditions.

One tribe, the Kalenjin, has even attracted international attention as a result of their incredible success providing Olympic runners for Kenya. From 1980 on, about 40% of the top honors available to men in international athletics at distances from 800 meters to the marathon have been earned by Kalenjin. In recent years, Kenyan women have also become a major presence in international athletics at these distances, and most of these women are also Kalenjin.