Who Are the Kikuyu?
The Kikuyu (also Gikuyu) are Kenya's largest ethnic group, numbering approximately 8 million (about 17% of Kenya's population), centered in the fertile Central Highlands around Mount Kenya. They speak Kikuyu (Gikuyu), a Bantu language. The Kikuyu were agricultural people whose prosperous lands attracted British settler colonialism, dispossessing many from ancestral territory. They led Kenya's independence movement—Jomo Kenyatta was Kikuyu—and have dominated post-independence politics, producing three of four presidents. This political prominence creates both influence and ethnic tensions in Kenya's competitive multi-ethnic democracy.
Land and Colonialism
The Kikuyu's fertile Central Highlands attracted British settlers seeking farmland. The "White Highlands" policy dispossessed Kikuyu from ancestral lands; many became squatters (ahoi) on European farms or migrated to cities. This land grievance fueled resistance. The Mau Mau uprising (1952-1960), primarily Kikuyu, challenged colonial rule through armed resistance. The British responded with brutal counterinsurgency—detention camps, torture, forced villagization. Though militarily defeated, Mau Mau accelerated independence. Land remained contentious: post-independence redistribution favored elites; landlessness persists. The Kikuyu experience exemplifies colonial dispossession and its lasting effects.
Political Dominance
Kikuyu have dominated Kenyan politics disproportionately. Jomo Kenyatta led independence; his son Uhuru Kenyatta was president (2013-2022); Mwai Kibaki (2002-2013) was also Kikuyu. This dominance reflects numbers, education levels, economic power, and political organization—but also generates resentment from other ethnic groups who feel marginalized. Post-election violence (2007-2008) killed over 1,000, with much directed at Kikuyu perceived as benefiting from stolen elections. Kenya's ethnic politics—where communities vote as blocs and expect benefits for their group—makes Kikuyu prominence both a political asset and source of national tension.
Culture and Religion
Traditional Kikuyu religion centered on Ngai (God), believed to dwell on Mount Kenya's snow-capped peak. Ancestors (ngoma) mediated between living and divine. Sacrifices at sacred fig trees (mugumo) sought blessings. Circumcision rituals for both boys and girls (the latter now controversial) marked adulthood. Jomo Kenyatta's "Facing Mount Kenya" (1938) documented these traditions. Christianity, arriving with colonialism, has largely replaced traditional religion—most Kikuyu are now Christian. Yet cultural practices persist: age-grade systems, naming traditions, and the centrality of land to identity continue shaping Kikuyu life.
Contemporary Kikuyu
Modern Kikuyu are among Kenya's most economically successful groups—prominent in business, professions, and landownership. The Central Highlands remain a Kikuyu heartland, though many live in Nairobi and other cities. This success generates both pride and accusations of economic domination. Political questions arise: Can Kikuyu support leaders from other communities? How can Kenya move beyond ethnic voting? The 2022 election, where many Kikuyu voted against their own candidate, suggested possible shifts. How Kikuyu navigate their prominence—sharing power, addressing historical grievances, reducing ethnic tensions—shapes Kenya's democratic development.
References
- Kenyatta, J. (1938). Facing Mount Kenya
- Elkins, C. (2005). Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya
- Berman, B. & Lonsdale, J. (1992). Unhappy Valley: Conflict in Kenya and Africa