Guide Note

The Kikuyu tribe is the most populous ethnic group in Kenya. The Kikuyu make up 22% of Kenya's population, and have been the country's dominant political group since Kenya achieved independence in 1963.¹

Fast Facts

1. Population: About 6,723,000 people in Kenya²
2. The Kikuyu make up about 22% of Kenya's population³
3. Helped lead the Mau Mau Uprising of the 1950s
4. Politically, the Kikuyu have been dominant since Kenya's independence
5. Kenya president Mwai Kibaki is a member of the Kikuyu
6. Majority Christian
7. Languages:
   • Swahili
   • Kikuyu
   • English
8. Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello is a Kikuyu

Prior to their exposure to British colonialism, the Kikuyu people had a democratic horizontal social structure without chiefs or currency. During the era of British occupation, the introduction of Christianity, hierarchical government and taxes permanently readjusted Kikuyu practices and values.⁴