the kikuyu tribe

home of a kikuyu This is a kikuyu home stead. the traditional kikuyu homesteads used to have more than one hut in the compound because the kikuyu are polygamists; they marry more than one wife. There was also a farm and a barn for the animals in the homestead.	kikuyu beads decorations The kikuyu people used to trade cowrie shell for beads with the Maasai and then they would sew the beads together to make necklaces, anklets, bracelets and head bands. They wore the beads during ceremonies like Birth, initiation, marriage and death.	kikuyu homestead In a kikuyu home, women and girls were mainly made to do the house chores wile men and boys dug in the farms and herded livestock. If a man was caught doing a house chore such as collecting firewood, then he would be looked upon as a coward and called a 'woman'.	kikuyu boys herding cattle The kikuyu people valued livestock such as cattle and goats. They would normally batter trade food for animals with the Maasai people. Men and boy had the role of taking the animals out to graze in the morning and bringing them back for milking in the evening.
meat and potatoes (orio) Oria is one of the most popularly known kikuyu food. the delicacy is made from meat potatoes and peas. the kikuyu cooked their food in clay pots over three -stone firewood fire	kikuyu woman Here is a beatufully decorated KIkuyu woman. Notice that she is wearing a brown shuka that is tied to her left shoulder. the shuka posibly extends all the way down to her ankles and covers her body fully. You can also take note that she is wearing a headband, necklaces and earrings all made from multy -colored beads. this was how they used to traditionaly dress.	kikuyu men face decorations The Kikuyu use to greatly value beauty and hence they decorated themselves with chalk and cow blood on the bodies and the faces. These decoration would sometimes be put on by men during initiation, mourning for the dead, appeasing the ancestors and when going for war.	kikuyu women ceremonial decorations The kikuyu used to also use ostrich feathers to decorate themselves. the woman above is efficiently dressed and decorated for a traditional kikuyu wedding.

Origin of the kikuyu

Among the forty two tribes in kenya, there is the Agikuyu tribe or popularly known as the kikuyu. The Kikuyu tribe is a Bantu tribe that neighbors the Embu, Mbeere and Meru tribes around Mount Kenya. They are Kenya's most popular and the largest ethnic tribe of the country's population.

Kikuyus are believed to have come from West Africa along with other Bantu tribes. They finally settled along Mount Kenya where they began their main activity of farming the fertile volcanic highlands. Kikuyus were good friends with the Maasai and the two tribes often traded goods and inter-married.

THE KIKUYU TRIBE.

The tribe of people by the mountain side.

home of a kikuyu

This is a kikuyu home stead. the traditional kikuyu homesteads used to have more than one hut in the compound because the kikuyu are polygamists; they marry more than one wife. There was also a farm and a barn for the animals in the homestead.

kikuyu beads decorations

The kikuyu people used to trade cowrie shell for beads with the Maasai and then they would sew the beads together to make necklaces, anklets, bracelets and head bands. They wore the beads during ceremonies like Birth, initiation, marriage and death.

kikuyu homestead

In a kikuyu home, women and girls were mainly made to do the house chores wile men and boys dug in the farms and herded livestock. If a man was caught doing a house chore such as collecting firewood, then he would be looked upon as a coward and called a 'woman'.

kikuyu boys herding cattle

The kikuyu people valued livestock such as cattle and goats. They would normally batter trade food for animals with the Maasai people. Men and boy had the role of taking the animals out to graze in the morning and bringing them back for milking in the evening.

meat and potatoes (orio)

Oria is one of the most popularly known kikuyu food. the delicacy is made from meat potatoes and peas. the kikuyu cooked their food in clay pots over three -stone firewood fire

kikuyu woman

kikuyu men face decorations

The Kikuyu use to greatly value beauty and hence they decorated themselves with chalk and cow blood on the bodies and the faces. These decoration would sometimes be put on by men during initiation, mourning for the dead, appeasing the ancestors and when going for war.

kikuyu women ceremonial decorations

The kikuyu used to also use ostrich feathers to decorate themselves. the woman above is efficiently dressed and decorated for a traditional kikuyu wedding.