Kenya EARLY HISTORY: - Fossil Evidence Shows That Man's Prehistoric Ancestors Roamed Kenya As Early As 4 million Years Ago. The Modern History Of Kenya However, Did Not Start Until The Cushitic People From Northern Africa Moved Into Present Day Kenya Around 2000 BC. - The Bantu Arrived And Settled At The Coast At Around 200 AD. Later Between The 10th-14th Centuries.Nilotic People Arrived And Occupied The Rift Valley Plains. - As Early As The 4th Century BC Kenya Has Provided The Link Between The Red Sea & The Tastern Coast Of Africa. Arabs & Persians Established Trading Posts Along The Coast By The 8th Century AD.
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THE NAME KENYA:
- The Name Kenya Comes From The Word "Kiri Nyaga", Which Means “Mountain Of Light” (The Throne Of Earth, God Of The Kikuyu). Little Is Known Of The History Of The Area, Which Now Belongs to Kenya.
The First Settlers Were Hunters, Like The Bushman.
THE BANTUS, THE OMANI ARAB TRADERS & THE PORTUGUESE:
- The Bantu Speaking Cattle Herders Migrated To This Country Between 500B.C. And 500A.D. The Bantus Were Responsible For Spreading The Swahili Culture Over There.
By 1730, The Omani Arabs Took Control Over The Kenyan Coast. The Arabs Controlled Only The Coastal Parts Of The Country.
- Arab Traders Started Frequenting The Kenyan Coast In The First Century A.D. By 700 A.D. Arab Settlements Had Sprouted Along The Coastline Giving Way To Intermarriages Between The Bantu And Arabs.
- This Formed The Beginning Of The Swahili Culture And Language We Have In Kenya Today. Then In 1498 Portuguese Arrived And Settled In Kenya's Coast Ending The Arab Dominance.
- It Was During Their Stay At The Coast That They Built The Famous Fort Jesus In Mombasa In 1593. The Portuguese Lived In Control Of Much Of The Coast Until The Late 1600s When The Imam Of Oman Defeated Them, Bringing The Coast Under Islamic Control.
HISTORY OF THE KENYAN KIKUYUS OR AGIKUYU (BANTU); The Kikuyu Or Agikuyu Are Kenya's Largest Single Ethnic Group (Comprising 22% Of The Kenyan Population).
- WERE THEY CAME FROM;
The Kikuyus Are Believed To Have Come From West African Along With Other Bantus And Finally Settled Along Mt. Kenya Where They Began Their Main Activity Of Farming On The Fertile Volcanic Kenya Highlands.
- WHO THEY TRADED WITH;
Kikuyus Were Good Friends With The Masais(Chusites) With Whom They Traded Goods And Intermarried.
- COMPERED TO THE OTHER KENYAN TRIBES;
The Kikuyu Are Closely Related To The Embu, Mbeere, Kamba And Meru People Who Also Live Around Mt. Kenya.
- WHAT THEY DO FOR DAILY LIVING;
They Are Prolific Farmers, Inhabiting The Very Fertile Central Kenya Highlands. Most Of The World-Famous Kenyan Coffee Comes From The Kikuyu Region.
Being Highly Enterprising By Nature, Kikuyu People Dominate Businesses In Major Kenyan Towns And Cities
Although Many Kikuyus Have Migrated To The Main Urban Cities Of Nairobi And Other Towns, Their Territories Are Still Along Mt. Kenya And Central Kenya Highlands Including Nyeri, Muranga, Kiambu, Kirinyaga Regions Of Kenya.
- TRADITION OF A KIKUYU HOUSEHOLD OR FAMILY LIFE;
The Kikuyu Man Is Referred To As A Muthuuri (Meaning Someone Who Can Choose Or Discern Evil From Good) And The Kikuyu Woman Is Called A Mutumia (Meaning Someone Who Retains Family Secrets And Practices).
Traditionally, Kikuyu Society Is Polygamous So That Means Any Man Could Have As Many Wives As He Could Afford.
Traditionally, A Kikuyu Husband Could Marry More Than One Wife, If They Could Afford To Care For Them. Paying Dowry (Bride Price) Is Still An Important Aspect Of Their Culture.
The Family Lived In A Homestead(Village) With Several Huts For Dfferent Family Members. These Huts Were Constructed So That During The Cold Season The Interior Would Be Very Warm While In Hot Season The Hut Would Be Cool.
The husband’s hut was called ‘thingira’, and that was where the husband would call his children in for instruction On Family Norms And Traditions And He Would Also Call His Wives For Serious Family Discussions.
Each Wife Had Her Own Hut Where She And Her Children Slept. After Boys Were Circumcised (At Puberty) They Moved Out Of Their Mother’s Hut Into The Young Men’s Hut.
The Husband Would Invite His Age-Mates Of His Riika (Age Group) To A Horn (Ruhia) Of Traditional Beer (Njoohi) Called Muratina; An Alcoholic Drink Made From Sugarcane And The Muratina Fruit.
The Kikuyus Had A Systematic Method Of Family Planning. A Father Would Only Have Another Child With His Wife, After Her Youngest Child Was At An Age Where The Mother Could Send Them To Look After The Family’s Herd Of Goats, A Practice Called (Guthii Ruuru).Ruuru Is A Collection Of Goats And Sheep Or Commonly Referred As Herding.
- KIKUYU LANGUAGE;
The Agikuyus Speak Kikuyu, A Bantu Language, As Their Native(Mother) Tongue. Additionally, Many Speak Swahili And English As Well, The National And Official Languages Of Kenya Respectively.
The Kikuyu Language is Nearly Similar To The Embu, Mbeere, Kamba And Meru people Who also Settled Around Mt. Kenya.
The Kikuyu From The Greater Kiambu (Commonly Referred To As The Kabete) And Nyeri Districts Are Closely Related To The Maasai Due To Intermarriage Prior To Colonization.
The Kikuyu Between Thika And Mbeere Are Closely Related To Kamba People, Who Speak A Language Almost The Same As Kikuyu, Being Geographical Neighbours.Hence The Sub-Tribes That Retain Much Of The Original Kikuyu Heritage Reside Around Kirinyaga And Murang'a Regions Of Kenya.
The Kikuyu From Murang'a District Are Considered To Be More Pure, Believed To Be The Cradle Of The Kikuyu People. Kikuyu Language Has Almost Become Kenya's Third Language Of Choice.Colonization Eroded Many Traditional Practices And Values, Although The Language Has Survived And Continues To Evolve. Many Kikuyu Have Moved From Their Traditional Homeland To The Cities To Find Jobs.
They Have Also Moved To Other Parts Of The Country And The World Due To Intermarriage, Business Opportunities, Study, And Generally Seeking Better Prospects In Life. Although Some Cultures Have Eroded, The Kikuyu Language Is Still Predominantly Spoken Especially In The Urban Areas Where Majority Of People Speak English And Swahili.
- KIKUYU CALTURE & LIFESTYLE; In the Kikuyu land there is a very diverse history of how people lived. One is the form of entertainment in those days. The Kikuyu young women and men could travel to isolated areas for dance and feasting.
Discipline however was observed and no man was supposed to touch a lady sexually. The young men only enjoyed the dance and they had the chance to mingle with the beautiful young ladies who would eventually become their suitors. Many of the songs they used to dance to are being revived in modern bars and clubs. The common dances were Nguchu, Nduumo, Mugoiyo, Gichukia and ndachi ya irua (circumcisional dance). The grandmothers had a critical role of checking if any man unwound the inner garment of the young ladies. This garment was called muthuru. The grandmothers (macucu), tied it safely to protect any promiscuity in young women. Women who engaged in sex before marriage, affairs, or got pregnant could only be married as a second wife and were commonly referred to as ‘Gichokio’. Therefore the Kikuyu customs valued the chastity of unmarried women and protected young women against abuse. It also ensured some form of entertainment was prepared and young people carried forward the practices from generation to generation. Many have also migrated to other Kenyan towns and cities where they're involved in small business ventures while others work in other fields. A good number of Kikuyus have moved onto the west side of the Rift Valley into what was traditionally Kalenjin territory. There, they do large-scale farming and growing major cash crops of tea and coffee. Because of their longtime economic success, majority of Kikuyus are very well educated. Their ability to adapt to new realities has resulted in them adopting many aspects of modern culture even those who live in the rural areas. Today a majority of the Agikuyu are found in Nairobi and Central provinces of Kenya. Those living in rural areas tend to continue to practice farming. When it comes to food, music, marriage ceremonies and everyday family life, most Kikuyus still uphold their culture. Other than their economic stability the Kikuyu have continued to dominate leadership and politics in Kenya.
- Kikuyu Food;
In most homes of the Kikuyu people, typical traditional Kikuyu food include githeri(maize and beans), mukimo (mashed green peas and potatoes), Irio (mashed dry beans, corn and potatoes), roast goat, beef, chicken and cooked green vegetables such as collards, spinach and carrots.
The Kikuyu Religion;
- History Of The Kikuyu God Or Ngai;
The 'traditional' Kikuyu religion is monotheistic.
According to legend, Ngai (The Provider or The One Who Distributes, the creator worshipped also by the Maasai and Kamba), resides atop Kirinyaga, known as Mount Kenya. Ngai is also called Mwene-Nyaga, or Holder of mystery. Nyaga means mystery as well as ostrich According to tradition, Ngai created the land and gave it to the people, creating an inseparable bond between man and land. Other important aspects of Kikuyu tradition include the value of ancestry and the forest. In present day, 73% are identified as Christian[citation needed], causing a decline in their 'traditional' beliefs. The name Kirinyaga is composed of two Kikuyu words - Kiri, meaning 'The One With', and Nyaga, meaning Ostrich (referring to the mountain's semblance to an ostrich, with its white snowcap and black volcanic rock body); Thus, the full name Kirima (mountain) Kirinyaga means the mountain with the ostrich/ the mountain of mystery (the more likely translation).
- Faith & Religion;
Today most Kikuyus are Christians, but just like the Maasai and the Kamba tribe, the kikuyu tribe traditionally worshipped a single God, "Ngai", who was known as the provider and lived at the top of the mountain.
Kikuyus believed it was their traditional God who started the kikuyu tribe by putting on earth a man and woman named Gikuyu and Mumbi who had 9 daughters who later married and brought to life, the Kikuyu tribe.
The truth is Kirinyaga(kenya in colonial )language is the origin of humanity. Consider the bibilical verse that talks of the land that is divided by flowing water- actaully central province. The Agikuyu are the only people who have no paintings to show their GOD or any of their prophets, the only people never to have worshipped any carving or a creation under the son prior to the coming of the white man’s confusion.
- Kikuyu Legends & Prophesies:
A religious Kikuyu prophet called Cege wa Kibiru or Mugo wa Kibiru prophesied about the coming of the Europeans long before they arrived at the Coast. It was said that there would come people from a different land, having the colour of kiuura kya marigu-ini "frog of the banana plantation". This depicts something close to the native white color. He also predicted the arrival of aeroplanes, "like butterflies in the sky". Two of the other memorable men in the Kikuyu history were Wang’ombe wa Ihuura and Wamugumo. Wang’ombe wa Ihuura killed a man-eating leopard with his bare hands. Wamugumo could sink 3/4 of a traditional hunting spear to the bare earth. He was a giant sized man whose size and eating habits were legendary.
Waiyaki Wa Hinga was another Kikuyu paramount chief, who was credited as among the first to resist the entrechment of the White settlers in the Kikuyu land. When confronting one white settler in the settler's tent, Waiyaki's sword got caught in the tent's roof as he raised it to strike. He was quickly overpowered, severely beaten, and buried alive in Kismayu.
- Social Structure;
According to folklore, the Kikuyu tribe was ruled based on a matriarchal system. During the rule of Wangu wa Makeeri, a leader who was said to be so fierce she held meetings seated on the backs of men, the men decided to revolt and take over leadership.
(Although modern Kikuyu often assume that Wangu was a mythical character, she was in fact one of the first "chiefs" installed by the British at the end of the 19th Century in Murang'a District as a result of her liaison with a more well-known "chief" Karuri wa Gakure.) One version of the story says that the revolution took place when Kikuyu men organized to have all the women dance naked in a Kibaata dance. The women refused and the Kikuyu men took the rule to themselves. In another version, the men conspired to make all the women pregnant at the same time. This made them vulnerable and unable to carry out leadership duties. The men then took over leadership- and never let go.
KIKUYU FREEDOM FIGHTERS;
MEN:
- Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, (First President & Considered Founding Father Of Kenya) - Dedan Kimathi, Field Marshall - Waruhiu Itote aka (General China) - Harry Thuku, Freedom Fighter and Independence Hero - Josiah Mwangi Kariuki (J.M. Kariuki), Former Member of Parliament Nyandarua - Charles Rubia, Former Member of Parliament and Political Activist - Senior Chief Koinange Wa Mbiyu - Kenneth Matiba, Former MP, Leader of Official Opposition, Youngest Permanent Secretary. - Josephat Karanja, Former Vice President - Gakaara Wa Wanjau, Mau Mau Freedom Fighter and Author - Hon. Dr. Peter Mbiyu Koinange, (Minister of National & Foregin afairs) - Mwai Kibaki (Third & Forth President) WOMEN:
- Ngina Kenyatta (Mama Ngina), Former First Lady, Uhuru Kenyatta's Mother - Wangari Maathai, Nobel Laureate
KIKUYU HISTORIC LEADERS;
- The First Kenyan President, The Late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was a Kikuyu; - Kenyas 3rd and Current President, His Excellency Emilio Mwai Kibaki is Also a Kikuyu; - Professor Wangari Maathai, Africa's First Female Nobel Peace Prize Winner is a Kikuyu; - OTHER PROMINENT KIKUYU PEOPLE & POLITICIANS:
- Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy Prime Minister,Minister of Finance,Former Minister of Trade,Former Official Leader of Opposition (Also Son Of The first President Jomo Kenyatta) - Amos Kimunya, Minister of Trade, Former Finance Minister and Chairman of Muthaiga Country Club - Mutahi Kagwe, Former Minister for Information and Communications - Martha Karua, Former Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs - John Njoroge Michuki, Minister of Environment and Mineral Resources, Former acting Minister of Finance, Former Minister of Roads, Former Internal Security Minister and Owner of Windsor Golf & Country Club - Mbiyu Koinange Former Minister of Foreign Afairs - Charles Mugane Njonjo, Former Attorney General and Minister for Constitutional Affairs - Koigi wa Wamwere, Author and Politician - Lucy Kibaki, First Lady - Mary Wambui, Political Activist (Alleged Second Wife of Mwai Kibaki) - John Githongo, Whistleblower on Kibaki Administration Graft - Chris Murungaru, Politician, Former Security Minister - Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Literary Scholar - Meja Mwangi, Author - John Ngugi, Athlete - Catherine Ndereba, Athlete - James Macharia, Athlete - Eric Wainana, Musician - Nameless aka "David Mathenge", Musician - Tom Morello, Grammy Award Winning Guitarist well known for his Tenure with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave; Ranked #26 on Rolling Stone Magazine's List of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." - Samuel Kamau Wanjiru, 1st Kenyan Olympic Champion in The Marathon. - Mustafa Olpak, Turkish Writer and Activist of Kikuyu Descent
- Kikuyu Comparison To The Ethiopians;
Some Kikuyu Migratory Tales As Narrated By The Earlier Generations Seams To Indicate That The Kikuyus May Actually Have Migrated To Their Current Location From A Place Called Axum In Ethiopia.
It Is Said That After The Breakup Of Axum, The Kikuyus Migrated Southwards Together With The Covenant And Hid It On Mt. Kenya, That Is Why They Normally Regarded Mt. Kenya As A Seat For Their God.It Is A Well Known Fact That The Ancient Axum Empire Was Occupied By Group Of Communities Which Had Blood Relationship With The Jews Through The Famous Queen Of Sheba. More So, The Southward Migration From Axum To The Eventual Current Settlement At The Foot Of Mt. Kenya Appears To Make More Sense Than The West, Southwards And Then Northward Kind Of Movement.
Someone has actually heard this story in ADDIS ABABA. People there believe that Kkuyus descended from one of the Ethiopian Tribes that moved south. However more research is needed.
Some of the Ethiopian Jews In Gonder Northern Ethiopia,Say that The Kikuyu Belong to A Certain Generation In There Lineage.
The Chushites;
The original inhabitants of area of Africa below Equator from the time of Jesus Christ were cushites namely : Thagichu, Segechu, Athi, San, Khosan of SA, Elmolo, Ogieks, Il Chamus, Irqaw of TZ, Twa of Rwanda: All these were hunter gatherers.
The Meru (Bantus)
The predominant oral tradition concerning the Meru’s early history is a fantastic fable that seems to combine elements of both truth and fiction and has close parallel to Jewish mythology
Taken as a whole, the Meru have one of the most detailed and potentially confusing oral histories and mythology of any people in Kenya. It is also one of the most deeply intriguing, at least from a western point of view, as it contains extremely strong Biblical similarities that suggest to some that they may once have been one of the lost tribes of Israel, and to others that they were once Jewish, in the same way that the Falashim of Ethiopia remain Jewish to the present day. This history includes a good part of both Old and New Testament stories: a baby in a basket of reeds who becomes a leader and a prophet, the massacre of newly born babies by an evil king, an exodus, the parting and crossing of the waters by an entire nation, Aaron’s Rod in the form of a magic spear or staff, the leadership of a figure comparable to Moses, references to ancient Egypt (Misiri), and so on. In brief, it recounts that the Meru were once enslaved by the “Red People”. They eventually escaped, and in their exodus came across a large body of water called Mbwaa or Mbwa, which they crossed by magical means. The details of the tradition are replete with parallels to the Old Testament, and also contain references to events described in the New Testament. This has led many to speculate that the Meru are perhaps the descendants of one of the Lost Tribes of Israel, or that they were once Jewish, or had been in profound cultural contact with a people that certainly were (such as the Falashim of Ethiopia). Considerable if inconclusive anthropological research has been conducted and documented with respect to this startling aspect of Meru Mythology. The book by Jeffrey Fadiman “When We Began There Were Witchmen” deals with this subject. Other interpretations of Meru history incorporates aspects of Meru mythology and spans about three centuries. There are no written records for the first two centuries and what may be learned must come from memories of the community’s elders. The predominant tradition has to do with a place called Mbwa. This tradition tells how the Meruan ancestors were captured by the Nguuntune (the “red people”, literally the “red clothes”, generally taken to mean the Arabs) and taken into captivity on the island of Mbwa. Because conditions were intolerable, secret preparations were made to leave Mbwa. According to some oral tradition sources was located in present day Yemen. Others identify Mbwa with Manda Island near Lamu and the water as the ocean channel. When the day came to leave Mbwa, a corridor of dry land is said to have been created for the people to pass through the Red Sea. They later followed a route that took them to the hills of Marsabit, eventually reaching the Indian Ocean coast. There they stayed for some time; however, due to climatic conditions and threats from the Arabs, they traveled farther south until they came to the Tana River basin. Most traditions say most went as far south as Tanzania until finally reaching the Mount Kenya area. This seems to combine two separate myths of origin from different segments of Meru history, one from the north and another from the east. The eastern origin tradition indicates westward migration from the coast. This correlates with traditions of other Bantu peoples like the Giriama and the Pokomo. The Meru people have traditionally been considered to be Bantu. The Meru are actually of mixed origin, with some claiming an origin from the north or west, as well as the coastal origins. Cushites referred to as Mwoko in Meru traditions were already living there when the Bantu groups arrived in various stages of migration. The Meru are share many similarities with the Embu, and Kikuyu as well.
- Kikuyus Traditions Compered To The Jews & Arabs;
Many things in kikuyu traditions compare to jewish and arabic tradition are the same.
THE KENYA COLONISATION HISTORY:
-Kenya colonization 1888 to 1963
The colonial history of Kenya starts at the Berlin Conference of 1885 when European nations divided Africa among themselves. In 1894 the British government declared the East African Protectorate over Kenya and Uganda. The protectorate became a colony in 1920. The Kenya historical events timeline below highlights key events of the colonial period.
1944: Kenyan African Union (KAU) formed to campaign for independence.
1947: Jomo Kenyatta becomes KAU leader.
1947: The Mau Mau rebel movement is born
1952: Mau Mau activities intensify. Colonial government declares state of emergency. Kenyatta, Achieng Aneko and others are arrested.
1953: Kenyatta is sentenced to 7 years imprisonment on charges of leading Mau mau.
1959: Kenyatta is released from prison.
1960: State of emergency ends. Britain starts preparing Kenya for majority African rule. James Gichuru, Oginga Odinga and others form Kenya African National Union (KANU)
1963 June 1st: Kenya achieves internal self-government (Madaraka).
1963 December 12th: Kenya gains independence. Jomo Kenyatta becomes Prime Minister
On December 12th 1964, Kenya became a Republic. Jomo Kenyatta became Kenya's first President with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga as his Vice President. Odinga later had ideological differences with Kenyatta. In 1966, Odinga left KANU and formed an opposition party, Kenya People's Union (KPU).
Kenyatta banned KPU and from 1969 KANU became the only political party in Kenya. Kenyatta remained president of Kenya until his death on August 22, 1978.
The British came to Nairobi, they confiscated some of Kikuyu's fertile land, leaving them with only a small piece to cultivate. The Kikuyus, frustrated from loss of land and colonial rule, formed a rebellion group, the Mau Mau which went into war with the British. This war somehow contributed to the independence of Kenya.
KENYAN PRESIDENTS TODATE:
- The first Kenyan President, The Late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta
- The Second President, Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi
- The Third President, Emilio Mwai Kibaki
- The Forth President, Emilio Mwai Kibaki