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Introduction to the Kikuyu People The Kikuyu, the largest ethnic group in Kenya were traditionally agriculturalists, practicing mixed farming. They kept cattle, sheep and goats but in small numbers than the Maasai who are a classic case of pastoralists. That Kikuyu language is third most widely used language. The first Swahili followed by English, which is the official language. There is however very little literature in the Kikuyu language. The word Gĩkũyũ has three meanings; the name of the ethnic group, the language they speak the name of the patriarch who initiated the group. When referring to the community, Gĩkũyũ is singular and Agĩkũyũ is for several persons. The word Gĩkũyũ was transformed to Kikuyu by the British colonialists and is now more widely used when a text is written in English. The Kikuyu belong to the Highland Bantu linguistic group which includes the Kuria, Embu, Tharaka, Meru, Kamba, Gusii and Kuria of Kenya. Other Highland Bantu groups reside in Tanzania. These i...

   Wangari Maathai - A Kikuyu Nobel laureate -  wikimedia commons The daughters of Mumbi According to the Myth of Origin, God made  Gĩkũyũ  and placed him near Mount Kenya at a place called  Mũkũrwe wa Gathanga  God saw that he was lonely and gave him a wife,  Mũmbi.  Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi were blessed with nine daughters, but no sons. The daughters’ names, arranged from the eldest to the youngest were as follows: Wanjirũ, Wambũi, Njeri, Wanjikũ, Nyambũra, Wairimũ, Waithĩra, Wangarĩ,  and the last one was  Wangũi.  These are the founders of the nine clans of the Kikuyu. The nine clans are listed bbelow,besides the name of the founder: Wanjirũ  -Anjirũ Wambũi  - Ambũi Njeri  - Aceera Wanjikũ  - Anjiku Nyambura  - Ambura or Ethaga Wairimũ  - Airimũ or Agathigia or Aicakamũyũ Waithĩ ra  - Athirandũ Wangarĩ - Angarĩ or Aithe-Kahuno Wangũi  - Angũi or Aithiegeni There was a tenth daughter who accor...

   The Mũkũyũ (Ficus sycomorus) was the sacred tree of Kikuyu. in its absence, the Mugumo (Ficus natalensis/thoningii)  The Kikuyu People of Kenya The Kikuyu people of Central Kenya believed in one God. They also had a concept of ‘being born again,’ and every child had to undergo a ritual of being born again to be a complete member of the community. When the firstborn child was ready for religious instructions, the child’s uncle from the mother’s side, known as  Nyar ũ me , charged a fee in goats to pierce three holes in the upper earlobe of the child. Three sticks, known as  ndũgĩra , were inserted in those holes like aerials that directed the new information into the ear for memorisation. In Kikuyu, God is called Ngai or  Mwenenyaga The Kikuyu religion was not separate from the ordinary lives of the people. One did not have the choice to either believe or not believe. There were no atheists. Everything a Kikuyu did or did not do impacted their relations w...

  A Nduma dish with potatoes and carrots for additional flavour. Steamed cabbage has been added to balance the diet.  The Kikuyu of Kenya and what they Ate The Kikuyu were a mixed farming community. Their diet was mainly from agricultural produce. They kept cattle and goats, but mainly for ritual purposes and as a currency for the purchase of goods and the payment of dowry. They therefore ate meat during ceremonies that required the slaughter of a goat or cow, and not just because someone had not eaten meat for a long time. Like in the Maasai community, the Kikuyu were forbidden from eating wild animals. It was also taboo to eat birds like chickens and ducks. However, these taboos did not apply to uncircumcised boys, and families adopted from communities that had no qualms about eating the forbidden animals. For example, Ndorobo Kikuyus were known as 'Athi,' a term that translates as 'hunters,' among other meanings. They, therefore, were free to eat the produce of their...

                                                                                        A Kikuyu man in 1910  Karibũ! Welcome to a practical approach to learning Kikuyu. Immersing yourself in everyday conversations is a fantastic way to grasp the language as it's actually spoken. In this section, we'll explore several common dialogues you might encounter in daily life in Kenya. By examining these exchanges, along with their vocabulary breakdowns, you'll begin to understand sentence structure, common phrases, and essential words used in various situations. Pay close attention to the pronunciation guides, and don't hesitate to practice these dialogues aloud. Let's dive in and start building your conversational Kikuyu skills! Section 1: Essential Daily Exchanges D...