User:Mehmet Karatay/People of Mount Kenya

There are five main districts found around Mount Kenya. These are the Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Meru Central and South, and Embu districts.

Local tribes
The main tribes living around Mount Kenya are Kĩkũyũ, Embu, Maasai and Wakamba. They all see the mountain as an important aspect of their cultures.

Kĩkũyũ
The Kĩkũyũ live in Kirinyaga district, on the southern and eastern sides of the mountain. They are agriculturalists, and make use of the highly fertile volcanic ash on the lower slopes. The Kĩkũyũ people believe that their God, Ngai lives on Mount Kenya. They build their houses with the doors facing the mountain. The Kĩkũyũ name for Mount Kenya is Kirinyaga, or Kilinyaga as mentioned by Gregory, which means the 'white' mountain.

Kĩkũyũ medicine men often trekked up Mount Kenya to seek guidance or cures from Ngai.

In Kĩkũyũ tradition: when the earth was formed a man called Mogai made a great mountain called Kere-Nyaga. White powder called ira covered the peak, which was the bed for the God, Ngai. Important tribal ceremonies such as marriage and initiation take place facing the mountain.

Embu
The Embu tribe live around the south-east side of Mount Kenya. The Embu people believe that Mount Kenya is the home of their god, Ngai. The mountain is sacred, and they build their houses with the doors facing it. The Embu name for Mount Kenya is Kirenia, which means mountain of whiteness.

The Embu people live at the foot of the mountain, and rarely go far up its slopes because of the cold.

The Embu possibly used to visit the Afro-alpine zone. Krapf was told by the Embu that the waters from the streams on Mount Kenya flow into a large lake that fed the River Tana, and the only two possible lakes that fit this description are Lake Michaelson and Lake Ellis, both in the Afro-alpine zone.

Maasai
The Maasai used to live to the north and north-west of Mount Kenya. However, they were moved by Europeans to reserves in the south so that their land could be used for settlement. The Maasai are nomadic people, who use the land to the north of the mountain to graze their cattle. They believe that their ancestors came down from the mountain at the beginning of time. The Maasai names for Mount Kenya are Ol Donyo Eibor and Ol Donyo Egere, which mean white mountain and speckled mountain respectively.

The Maasai believe that their ancestors came down from Mount Kenya at the dawn of time.

In 1899, when Mackinder made his first ascent of Mount Kenya, the mountain was considered to be in Maasai territory.

Mackinder believed that "Kenya" was a corruption of the Maasai word for mists, so he called the gap between Batian and Nelion the "Gate of Mists".

Wakamba
The Wakamba names for Mount Kenya are Kima Ja Kegnia,  meaning mountain of whiteness, and Kiinyaa, meaning the mountain of the ostrich. This name refers to the colour of the peaks, which are white with snow and dark with rock, looking similar to the tail feathers of the male ostrich. Wakamba name "Kiima" or "Kya Nyaa" means "Hill of the Cock Ostrich". This has been contracted to Kiinyaa. The Wakamba also used to call the mountain "Njalo", which has the same root as "Kilima Njaro".

When Krapf first sighted Mount Kenya in 1849 he was in the village of Kitui. This is a Wakamba village. It is generally accepted that the modern "Kenya" comes from the Wakamba "Kiinyaa".

Other tribes
The first Europeans to visit Mount Kenya often brought members of other tribes as guides and porters. Many of these people had never experienced the cold, or seen snow and ice before. Their reactions were often fearful and suspicious.

The Meru believe that Mount Kenya is the sacred home of their God Ngai. They live on the north-east side of the mountain.

Meru call Mount Kenya Kirimaara, the shining mountain.

The Wakuafi live on the southern side of Mount Kenya. They call the mountain "Orldoinio eibor", which means "white mountain".

The Wadaicho live on the eastern side of Mount Kenya in the forests.

At the time of the first European expeditions to the mountain there were no people living between Mount Kenya and Lake Baringo.

The Wasuk tribe lived to the north of Mount Kenya along with the Maasai.

On the west side of Mount Kenya live the Andorobbo tribe. They hunt buffalo and elephant for food, and to sell the ivory. They live near the base of the mountain in the forests.

The Andorobbo call Mount Kenya "Doinyo Egeri", which means "Black Mountain". This is in contrast to the Maasai and Kĩkũyũ because they live on a different side of the mountain where there are more rocks and fewer glaciers. They used to visit, and possibly lived, in the Afro-alpine zone of the mountain. Now they rarely go above the forest zone.

"Another trait of the Zanzibari character was shown at the same camp. In the morning the men came to tell me that the water they had left in the cooking-pots was all bewitched. They said it was white, and would not shake; the adventurous Fundi had even hit it with a stick, which would not go in.  They begged me to look at it, and I told them to bring it to me.  They declined, however, to touch it, and implored me to go to it.  The water of course had frozen solid.  I put one of the pots on the fire, and predicted that it would soon turn again into water.  The men sat round and anxiously watched it; when it had melted they joyfully told me that the demon was expelled, and I told them they could now use this water; but as soon as my back was turned they poured it away, and refilled their pots from an adjoining brook."

- J W Gregory

Mackinder's expedition of 1899 met some men from the Wanderobo tribe. They were at about 3,600 m (12,000 ft), and are an example of a tribe that use the mountain for normal purposes.

The Zanzibari name for Mount Kenya is "Meru". Although Zanzibar is a long way from central Kenya, many of the porters used in early expeditions were from the coast. This was mainly due to the outbreaks of smallpox further inland. By recruiting porters when they landed on the continent the early explorers were assured of finding healthy people, whereas if they left it until they were at Nairobi they may well have found everyone there ill.

Traditional uses
Facing mountain in ceremonies

Medicine men seeking guidance

Hiding from tax collectors

Traditional landmark on the route of Arab traders

Bamboo were a prized possession for tribes living below the forest belt. For this reason, the porters on Dutton's expedition in 1926 cut down as many bamboo sticks as they could carry to take back down with them to sell.

Current uses
Today many local people are employed on Mount Kenya. Most are employed in the tourist business, from guides and porters, to hut caretakers, to tour operators and workers in hotels and restaurants in towns around the "ring road".

Other people are employed in the National Park, as game wardens and anti-poaching patrols. There is also a mountain rescue team, although these employees usually have other jobs alongside this.


 * Pilgrimages up mountain

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 * Kirinyaga District
 * Coat of arms of Kenya&mdash;shield stands on silhouette of Mount Kenya
 * Map of where each tribe lives