| When the Gikuyu and Mumbi settled on the slopes | | | | make pots mainly for cooking and barter trade. |
| of Mount Kenya, they automatically became | | | | Woven baskets were also made by the women |
| farmers. The land was beautiful and very fertile. | | | | from the sisal plant. They would use them |
| As they bore children, 'the nine daughters of | | | | domestically and sell too. |
| Gikuyu', they expanded and took power most of | | | | The Kikuyu were also traders. This came out of a |
| central Kenya. These daughters were Achera, | | | | need for things they could not produce |
| Agachiku, Airimu, Ambui, Angare, Anjiru, Angui, | | | | themselves. These mainly were tools such as |
| Aithaga, and Aitherandu. As the ladies got married | | | | arrowheads, spears, swords and later jembes. |
| and bore more children for Gikuyu and Mumbi, | | | | The women would travel for long distances to |
| they spread the more around the slopes of | | | | meet the people they would exchange their |
| Kirinyaga. | | | | wares with. These were normally the Masaai, the |
| The were heavily agricultural and would grow | | | | kamba and Okiek. The most common products |
| crops such as bananas, sugarcane, arum lily, | | | | that were bartered were the livestock, agricultural |
| yams, beans, millet, maize, black beans and a | | | | produce, iron implements, tobacco, salt and ochre. |
| variety of vegetables. They would also cattle | | | | A market was found in heavily populated places |
| which provided them with milk and hide. The hide | | | | and a middle man who represented the women in |
| was used to make clothes, sandals, bedding and | | | | the market ensured that the goods were safe in |
| house equipment such as bags. They would also | | | | the caravans. |