Kenya is a country located in East Africa with a population of over 41 million people. It has over 70 ethnic groups, with the three largest being the Kikuyu, Luo, and Luhya tribes. Each tribe has its own distinct language and culture. The Kikuyu are the largest group and live in central Kenya growing crops like tea and coffee. The Luhya are known for their enthusiasm for sports like rugby and soccer. The Maasai tribe maintains traditional nomadic herding practices and are known for their distinctive beaded jewelry and clothing styles that vary by age and gender.

1. Kenya
Let us learn about it!

2. Kenya is a country located in the
continent of Africa.

3. Up close

4. Key facts
• Official Name: Republic of Kenya
• Area: 225,000 square miles ( 582,646 square
kilometers)/ Kelowna is about 2,904.86
square kilometers/ B.C is 944,735 square
kilometers.
• Capital: Nairobi
• Population: 41.8 million ( 2013)
• Languages: The national languages are Swahili
and English.

5. Key facts
• Location: Kenya is located on the east coast of Africa.
It has a coastline on the Indian Ocean and straddles
the equator.
• Bordering countries: It borders the countries of
Ethiopia and Sudan on the north, Somalia on the
east, Tanzania on the south, and Uganda on the
west.

6. The people!
• There are more that 70 different ethnic groups
in Kenya. Each has its own language and
culture. The three largest ethnic groups are
the Gikuyu (Kikuyu), Luo, and the Luhya.

7. Kikuyu tribe
• They are Kenya's most popular and the largest ethnic
tribe, making up 22 percent of the country's population.
• Kikuyus speak the Kikuyu language, and most of them live
around the fertile central highlands and Mount Kenya where
they mainly grow tea and coffee.

8. Kikuyu tribe continued…
• The first Kenyan president, the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was a
Kikuyu.
• Kenya's third and current president, his Excellency Emilio
Mwai Kibaki is from the Kikuyu tribe.
• Professor Wangari Maathai, Africa's first female Nobel Peace
Prize winner was also from Kikuyu tribe.

9. Kikuyu food
• In most rural Kikuyu homes, typical traditional
Kikuyu food includes githeri (maize and
beans), mukimo (mashed green peas and
potatoes).

10. The Luhya tribe
• Luhyas are Kenya's second largest ethnic tribe following
the Kikuyu, and they account for 14 percent of the Kenyan
population.
• Luhya people are great sports enthusiasts, especially when it
comes to rugby and soccer.

11. Luhyas continued…
• Luhyas produced most of the players on Kenya's national
soccer team.
• Traditional bullfighting is still considered a sport among
sections of the Luhya ethnic tribe.
• They speak Luhya language.

12. The Luo( Luh- WO) tribe
• The Luo tribe is the third largest community in Kenya and
makes up close to 13% of the entire population.
• The Luo tribe has traditionally produced many scholars and
other educated persons, For Luos living in rural areas,
freshwater fishing in Lake Victoria is the most important
economic activity.

13. Let us try and say this together!
• The Luo tribe speak the language Dholuo
• Children enjoy playing language games in Dholuo.
Among these is a tongue- twister game.
For example, Let us say “Atud tond atonga, tond
atonga chodi “, which means, "I tie the rope of the
basket, the rope of the basket breaks."

14. The artists- The Maasai tribe
• The Maasai live in southern Kenya and still
keep many of their traditional ways.
• The Maasai life is divided into different stages,
which is marked by the way they dress and
their interesting beadwork.

15. Women
• Girls and women wear large beaded collars that extend from
their necks down onto their chests, looking like round bibs.
• Unmarried women may decorate their upper ears, but only
married women may wear earrings.

16. The Men
• They are called the warriors.
• The men grow their hair long and braid it, they
decorate their hair and bodies with ochre, a
reddish-yellow pigment found in the ground.
• They also wear a beaded belt with a decorative
patch that carries the scabbard( a short sword)
.They also wear bracelets, anklets and
decorations of the ears.
• The elders have shaved heads and wear much
less beadwork.

17. The “warriors” of Maasai tribe

18. Let us try making a bracelet or anklet
• Typical bead colors are red, blue, black, white,
yellow, orange, and yellow-green.

19. Directions
• Cut the construction paper 12 inch (30.5 cm) by 1.5/2 inch (5 cm).
• Make a pencil mark at the top, ( 1 inch/ ~3 cm) Wrap the strip
around your wrist, arm, ankle. Make a pencil mark on the bottom of
the strip even with the first mark.
• Cut slits about 1-2 inches(3cm/5 cm) long at the pencil marks, Trim
the band if it is too long.
• Cut of the graphic paper to match the size of your anklet/bracelet.
• Using Red, blue, orange, black, white, yellow, and green colored
pencils, markers, create your design.
• After you are done designing your graphic paper, glue it on to your
construction paper.
• To wear: Wrap band around your wrist, arm, or ankle. Connect by
inserting the top slit into the bottom slit.