| Kenya has more than 40 tribes. Their role is | | | | delivers their baby in the bush. But her husband feels |
| diminishing slowly, but the tribe is one of the main | | | | increasingly threatened by her independence and |
| defining features of living in Kenya. On the one hand, | | | | abilities. When she opens a small shop in the village, |
| everybody admires the sight of proud Masai warriors, | | | | he's jealous. He gets abusive and she finally has to |
| dressed all red with their typical spears and shield. | | | | flee with her daughter back to Switzerland. |
| And tribes have social advantages, such as mutual | | | | Tribes In Kenya Business And Politics |
| help. On the other hand, the tribes in Kenya are | | | | Besides culture, tribes play a main role in business and |
| holding the country back. This article provides some | | | | politics. Tribe members 'help' each other, and this |
| background information. | | | | goes from , to favoritism in the government and |
| The Big Picture Of Tribes In Kenya | | | | covering each others criminal activities. |
| Family in Kenya is all-important. Big extended families | | | | The Kikuyu dominate both business and politics. |
| live together and look after each other. Then comes | | | | There are several reasons: they are the biggest tribe, |
| your clan, your sub-tribe, and your tribe. Since | | | | have westernized to a big extent, are street-smart in |
| Kenyan independence in 1963, the government has | | | | business and the led the independence movement in |
| tried to create a national consciousness, stressing the | | | | the 1950s and 1960s. This independence movement |
| idea that "we are all Kenyans". But as a result of the | | | | became the first big political party, KANU, which |
| tribe system, national identity is very weak in Kenya. | | | | dominated Kenyan politics for many decades. |
| Kenyan tribes are mainly based on language. There | | | | The first president of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, as well |
| are three language groups in which all the tribes can | | | | as current president Mwai Kibaki are Kikuyu, and both |
| be divided: the Bantu, the Nilotic and the Cushitic | | | | have shown clear favoritism, if not outright corruption |
| speaking tribes. Well-known tribes that still follow the | | | | towards their tribesmen. Kenyatta used the land |
| traditional lifestyles as the Masai, Samburu and | | | | reforms after de departure of the British to make |
| Turkana tribes are Nilotic. However, many Kenyans | | | | himself and his fellow clan members the biggest |
| speak three languages: their tribal language, English, | | | | landowners of the country. Kibaki was elected in |
| and Swahili (which together with English is the official | | | | 2002 on the promise to end the ever-present |
| language in Kenya). | | | | corruption, but once in office did precious little to |
| The biggest tribes are, respectively, the Kikuyu, | | | | fight it. Instead, he adopted members of his Kikuyu |
| Luhya, Luo, Kalenjin and Kamba (although exact | | | | clan throughout his administration. These people are |
| numbers differ widely from source to source). | | | | known as the "Mount Kenya Maffia", after the home |
| Tribes In Kenya: Pretty Or Ugly? | | | | region of the Kikuyu around this mountain. |
| Of course, I very much like to watch traditional tribal | | | | Many voters support a political candidate not because |
| life. The Masai, Samburu, Turkana tribes people have | | | | of his ideas or personal abilities, but because he's |
| magnificent colorful jewelry and clothes, impressive | | | | from the same tribe. Political parties are based on |
| rituals, and beautiful songs. Experiencing this is for | | | | tribes, not on ideas. Elections often come down to |
| many one of the big reasons of coming to Kenya. | | | | the question: which tribe is going to exploit the other |
| But let's be honest. How many of the tourists who | | | | tribes? The election struggles of 2007-2008 in Kenya |
| idealize the tribes in Kenya would be able to live that | | | | also had a tribal background: many non-Kikuyu voters |
| way themselves? Tribes also mean a belief in | | | | thought that the Kikuyu (22% of the population) |
| witchcraft (and better avoid being called a witch in | | | | under had "eaten enough" (slang for stealing |
| Kenya!), female genital mutilation, and little individual | | | | government funds) under the Kibaki government, and |
| freedom as the course of your whole life is already | | | | therefore supported a politician from the Luo tribe |
| fixed at birth by tribal customs. | | | | (Raila Odinga). |
| The "White Masai" movie has made this all too clear. | | | | While some people in the west romanticize the tribal |
| It tells the real life story of a Swiss woman (Corinne | | | | life, seeing this as a 'purer' lifestyle which is more |
| Hofmann) who marries a Masai warrior and joins the | | | | social and 'closer to nature', I personally am happy |
| traditional tribal life in his small village. During the first | | | | that I'm not a part of it, and I believe many Kenyans |
| years, she shows a remarkable ability to adapt. She | | | | would benefit from a gradual roll-back of the tribe |
| eats Masai food, sleeps in wooden shacks, and | | | | system. |