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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...

                The Kikuyu faced Mt Kenya during prayers in the belief that God reseded there  -  image from Wikipedia commons Who was Wang'ombe wa Ihura of the Kikuyu? Chief Wangombe was the son of a Kikuyu man and a Maasai woman. He was born in Tetu, at Kamakwa, near present-day Nyeri Town. His father and therefore the whole family, belonged to the Ambui clan of Thiukui  Mbari . Mbari is a cluster of homesteads whose members of several generations can trace their origins to a single clan member. His father was a trader by the name of Ihura Karugu. He went frequently into Maasai country to trade for foodstuffs, especially during famines and cattle epidemics when the Maasai needed grain most. In one of Ihura’s business trips , in the company of the young Wangombe, he was dispatched by the Laikipiak Maasai. The young boy escaped and went to live with his relatives among the same people who had caused the demise of his father. Af...

   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...

    Ancient Kikuyu Symbols: Tracing Potential Roots to Egyptian Hieroglyphs Long before the adoption of the Latin alphabet, the Kikuyu people of Central Kenya employed ingenious methods for preserving knowledge and conveying meaning through memory aids and symbolic representations. This article delves into these intriguing early forms of communication, by examining notched sticks, knotted cords, and inscribed symbols. It also explores the potential connections to ancient scripts, including the iconic Egyptian hieroglyphs. Writing falls into two major categories: mnemonic writing (memory aids without drawn designs) and symbolic representation (painted and drawn designs). 1. Mnemonic Writing: Memory Aids Without Drawn Designs This first method relies on memory aids to communicate with oneself or others. ·          Notched Sticks:  This Method Records Debts and Livestock History . Michael Waweru (mutigairi – meaning the late) informed ...