Who Are the Kikuyu?
The Kikuyu (Gikuyu) are the largest ethnic group in Kenya, numbering approximately 8-10 million people, roughly 17% of Kenya's population. They speak Kikuyu (Gikuyu), a Bantu language of the Niger-Congo family. The Kikuyu traditionally inhabited the fertile highlands around Mount Kenya (Kirinyaga), which they consider sacred—the abode of Ngai, the supreme deity. The Kikuyu were central to Kenya's independence struggle, providing leadership for the Mau Mau uprising and producing Kenya's first president, Jomo Kenyatta. Their prominence in Kenyan politics and commerce has shaped national history while generating ethnic tensions with other groups.
Mount Kenya and Ngai
Mount Kenya (Kirinyaga, "mountain of whiteness") is central to Kikuyu cosmology. Ngai, the supreme deity, dwells on its peaks, and Kikuyu traditionally oriented their houses to face the mountain. Origin myths describe Gikuyu, the founding ancestor, receiving the land from Ngai and establishing the nine clans from his nine daughters (the Kikuyu were traditionally matrilineal in clan organization). Sacred groves and fig trees (mugumo) served as prayer sites. Though Christianity has largely replaced traditional religion, Mount Kenya retains spiritual significance, and cultural practices reference the ancestral connection. This territorial identity linked to specific geography shaped Kikuyu responses to colonial land alienation.
Mau Mau and Independence
The Kikuyu bore the brunt of colonial land alienation when British settlers claimed the fertile "White Highlands" that overlapped Kikuyu territory. This dispossession fueled the Mau Mau uprising (1952-1960), a guerrilla insurgency primarily composed of Kikuyu fighters. The British response included detention camps, forced relocations, and violence that killed thousands. The uprising hastened Kenya's independence (1963), and Kikuyu leader Jomo Kenyatta became the first president. The Mau Mau experience remains contested—long vilified by colonial narratives, fighters were eventually recognized as freedom heroes. This history of resistance and sacrifice shapes Kikuyu political consciousness and claims to national leadership.
Contemporary Kikuyu
Modern Kikuyu are prominent in Kenyan business, politics, and professions. Three of Kenya's presidents (Kenyatta, Kibaki, and current president's wife) have been Kikuyu. This political dominance generates resentment from other ethnic groups and has contributed to electoral violence, notably in 2007-2008. Economically, Kikuyu are associated with entrepreneurship and commercial farming. Most Kikuyu are Christian (various denominations), though some maintain traditional practices. The Kikuyu language remains vigorous. Challenges include land pressure in the densely populated highlands, youth unemployment, and managing ethnic relations in Kenya's competitive political landscape. Kikuyu identity remains strong even as Kenya pursues national integration.
References
- Kenyatta, J. (1938). Facing Mount Kenya
- Elkins, C. (2005). Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya
- Muriuki, G. (1974). A History of the Kikuyu 1500-1900