Kenya Favorite Tips by croisbeauty Top 5 Page for this destination

Jomo Kenyatta

Favorite thing: Johnstone Kamau, from Kikuyu tribe, would one day be known as Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of Kenya. He served as the first Prime Minister (1963-1964) and President (1964-1978) and is considered the founding father of the Kenyan nation.
He made Kikuyu nation the most powerful tribe of Kenya for many years and consolided his personal power by placing several of his Kikuyu tribesmen in most of the powerful state and security offices ans post. By eliminating all political oponents Jomo Kenyatta practically established the dictatorship in Kenya for many years.
Jomo Kenyatta was re-elected three times, incrising his personal political power during each of presidential mandats. He remained president until his death in 1978.

Dedan Kimathi Wachiuri

Favorite thing: Field Marshal, Dedan Kimathi Wachiuri (1920 - 1957) was a Kenyan rebel leader who fought against British colonization in Kenya. He was convicted and executed by the British Colonial Government, sentenced to death by hanging and his remains are buried in unmarked grave at Kamiti Prison.
For the Kikuyus (largest tribe in Kenya), Kimathi was a freedom figter and the leading fighter for Kenyan freedom. Ironicaly but truth, for British he was nothing but the terrorist and that point of vew hasn't changed even today.
People should read the book by Caroline Elkins, it is called "Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britan's Gulag in Kenya", in which the author argued that during the Mau Mau Uprising the British detained over one million Kikuyu in what essentialy were concentration camps, exposing them to untold suffering, torture and death.
The monument to Kimathi was erected in 2007 in military regalia, holds a rifle on the right hand and a dagger on the other, symbolizing the last weapon he held in his struggle. During the time, Kimathi became a cultic figure for all Kenyans.

Kenyans

Favorite thing: Jamhuri ya Kenya (Republic of Kenya) is official name of the country in kswahili language. Actually, k in front of swahili indicates Kenyan dialect because swahili language is widely spoken in Tanzania and some in Uganda too.
Kenya occupies huge territory with over 35 million of inhabitants whom derived from one of 110 different tribes. The biggest tribe (people) is Kikuyu, also called Gikuyu, making 18% of the population, the second biggest is Luhya (15%) and their close relatives Luo (14%), following by Kalenjin (12%), Kamba (11%), Kisii (7%) and so on.
Although emblem of Kenya and most famous tribe, especially to Europeans, Maasais belong to a minor ethnic group. In whole of Kenya there are no more than 600.000 Maasai people. There is another interesting fact to those who are fond of athletics. Great majority of excellent Kenyan athlets derived from Turkana tribe, also minor ethnic group of about 500.000 people.

Mau Mau Uprising (1952-1960)

Favorite thing: After almost half of the century the speculations still exist regarding backronym Mau Mau and what it really means. According to some interpretations it comes out of swahili words "Mzungu Aende Ulaya - Mwafrika Apate Uhuru" or "Let the white man go back abroad so the African can get his Freedom."
However, according to newest interpretation Mau Mau means "hidden ones".
Mau Mau Uprising was undertake by Kikuyus, the biggest tribe of Kenya, to whom joined their close relatives from Embu and Meru tribes.

The beauty of nature

Favorite thing: Kenya is definetely a very beautiful country and has lots to offer to the visitors. Those who enjoy in sandy beaches will come on their own here. The best of a kind are situated around the town of Mombasa, the only problem is shallow of the water, except for the one at Malindi.
In case you're enjoying in stunning landscapes, visit northern and most western parts of the country, I was in particularly captured by the most western Kenya.
Finaly, the game reserves which are the main reasons why to visit Kenya. So far, I have visit two of them, missed to see Maasai Mara, Amboselli and Nakuru. Fortunatelly, I am visiting Kenya again this year in order to complete my experience about the country.

Multiconfesional Kenya

Favorite thing: Kenya is multiconfesional, catholics muslims and others live in piece and tollerance here. There exists substantial community of Indians in Kenya and most of them live in the coastal towns like Mombasa. I was surprised by the fact that majority of population in Mombasa are muslims, actually there are whole quarters in the town where only muslims live.

Maasai

Favorite thing: The Maasai belong to the group of plain Nilotes. They are found in Rift Valley province, and Northern Tanzania districts. The Maasai are nomadic pastoralists who belive that they are the only ones in this world who should own cattle. They are a legendary and most formidable warrior tribe. Their culture, however, is closely knit around cattle and the need to protect them. The Maasai also belive that pastoralism is superior activity to hunting or farming. A traditional Maasai greeting is "I hope your cattle are well".
The Maasai huts are barely tall enough with tiny windows. A spear in front of each hut announces the presence of the man and would serve as a warning to other men suitors.

Luo

Favorite thing: The Luo tribe originated from southern Sudan, they are river/lake Nilotes closely related to the highland Nilotes among them the Kalenjins and the plain Nilotes like the Maasai. They keep cattle and cultivate root plants. Man is a most central figure of every Luo homestead (dala). The presence of a man in Luo homestead is personified by a cock and a tall stick, sticking out of the apex of the roof of his hut. If the man dies, the stick is cut and the cock slaughtered.
The Luos are primarly pastoralists who feed on milk, blood and meat from cattle and fish. They are fond of fish and have therefore kept close to the rivers and lakes.

Kikuyu

Favorite thing: The Kikuyu people live in the most central part of the country. According to their mythology they belong to the family of Gikuyu and Mumbi who camee from the skies. The tribe is divided into nine clans from the nine daughters of Gikuyu and Mumbi.
Their activities are manily farming of food crops like yams, arrowroots, maize, beans, coffee and tea. They also keep cows and goats.
Like in many other Bantu communities' marriage is very important to the Kikuyu for continuity of the family. Polugamy is accepted in the community, however, marriage within a clans is not.
Kikuyu do not believe in burying their dead, undertakers in an evil forest dump the body after being rolled into a cow's skin.

Kalenjin

Favorite thing: The Kalenjin are people originally from Highland Nilotes comprising of several sub Groups. The word Kalenjin means I tell you or I say to you. The boys wear goat's or cow hides, while girls have long aprons made of cows hides. Distinguished warriors would wear leopard or monkeys skin. Kalenjin are mixed farmers. They grow tea as their major cash crop who grow subsistence crops like maize, millet, pumpkins and cassava. Interesting fact is that polugamy is practiced among Kalenjin people.