| The Kikuyu are the largest community in Kenya. | | | | counted in total as it was thou8ght to be bad lack. |
| They are Bantu speakers and are located mainly | | | | The clans were arguably ten but they only |
| in the central part of the country. The founder of | | | | counted nine. |
| the tribe, according to the traditions was a man | | | | The Kikuyu traditional culture allowed them to |
| called Gikuyu. God who was known as Ngai took | | | | intermarry with the original inhabitants of the |
| him to the top of Kirinyaga now Mount Kenya and | | | | central province. They were farmers and the area |
| told him to start the tribe. Ngai provided him with | | | | was conducive for this activity. They would grow |
| a wife Mumbi who together they sired nine | | | | growing bananas, sugarcane, arum lily, yams, |
| daughters. From these daughters, different clans | | | | beans, millet, maize, black beans and a variety of |
| originated. These clans are the Achera, Agachiku, | | | | vegetables. They also raised cattle for milk and |
| Airimu, Ambui, Angare, Anjiru, Angui, Aithaga, and | | | | hides. The hides were used to make the |
| Aitherandu. | | | | traditional wear, sandals, bedding and carrying |
| A family unit was called nyumba. Several related | | | | straps. They learned barter trade and they would |
| families would form the homestead which was | | | | exchange their farm produce for arrowheads, |
| called mucii. A mucii was part of a subgroup 'mbari' | | | | spears and swords. The women were the ones |
| which made up the nine clans. In Kikuyu traditional | | | | involved in the trade. They would also make pots |
| culture, people, livestock and children were not | | | | that were used in the barter trade. |