Sleeping Warrior Camp by Mawe Mbili

See also : Millenium Eco Sensitivity and The legend of the origins of the Maasai

Kenya is essentially a cultural microcosm of Africa. Different ethnic groups from all over the continent have migrated to Kenya for centuries, each bringing with them the distinctive features of their own culture. As a result, Kenya has over seventy distinct ethnic communities, speaking close to eighty different dialects; all united under the striped green black and red national flag (green for the land, black for the people and red for the blood spilt during the struggle for freedom). Kenyan unity is expressed in the national motto ‘Harambee’, which translates as ‘let’s all pull together’.


The population


The Language
Thanks to the large number of migrant communities that have settled in Kenya, over eighty languages are spoken throughout the country. English is the ‘official’ language and Swahili the ‘national’ language, both of which are taught in Kenyan schools (Swahili at primary level, English at secondary level). Most Kenyans, however, will speak at least three languages: English, Swahili and their ‘tribal’ or ‘mother’ tongue. Some, who come from marriages of mixed ethnicity, will speak even more. In the rural areas, however, visitors will often find that English is either only sketchily understood, or not at all. Broadly speaking, Kikuyu, Luo and English are the most widely spoken languages, while ‘up country’ Swahili is spoken countrywide (in varying degrees of grammatical accuracy), and ‘safi’ or pure Swahili is spoken almost solely on the coast. Of the tribal languages, the majority falls into one of two major language groups: Bantu and Nilotic.
The ethnic group most widely respresented in the area around Soysambu and the Camp of the Sleeping Warrior are the Maasai:


The Maasai
"The Maasai have long remained the ideal mental conceptualisation of the Western European idea of an African ‘noble savage’. Tall, elegant, handsome; walking with a gentle spring of the heel, seemingly proud and indifferent to all but the most necessary external influences."

"After deep reflection on my people and culture, I have painfully come to accept that the Maasai must change to protect themselves, if not their culture. They must adapt to the realities of the modern world for the sake of their own survival. It is better to meet an enemy out in the open and to be prepared for him than for him to come upon you at home unawares."




Perhaps the best known of Kenya’s tribes, the Nilo-Hamitic Maasai are a nomadic people whose style of life has remained essentially unchanged for centuries. The daily rhythm of life revolves around the constant quest for water and grazing for their cattle. Thought to have migrated to Kenya from the lower valleys of the Nile, the Maasai are distinguished by their complex character, impeccable manners, impressive presence and almost mystical love of their cattle. The latter is based on the Maasai belief that the sky god, "Enkai", was once at one with the earth. When the earth and the sky were separated, however, Enkai was forced to send all the world’s cattle into the safekeeping of the Maasai where, as far as the Maasai are concerned, they have remained. Brave and ruthless warriors, the Maasai instilled terror in all who came up against them, most especially the early explorers. ‘Take a thousand men’ advised the famous explorer Henry Stanley when speaking of the Maasai, ‘or write your will’.




Today, cattle are still the central pivots of Maasai life and  ‘I hope your cattle are well’ is the most common form of Maasai greeting. The milk and blood of their cattle also continue to be the preferred diet of the Maasai people, while the hides serve as mattresses, sandals, mats and clothing. Cattle also act as marriage bonds, while a complex system of cattle-fines maintains the social harmony of the group. Visually stunning, the Maasai warrior with his swathe of scarlet ‘Shuka’ (blanket), beaded belt, dagger, intricately plaited hair and one-legged stance remains the most enduring icon of Kenyan tourism. That said, many a modern Maasai dons a suit for work, but come the weekend, and he’ll be back in his beloved traditional dress.







The European Community

Though small in number, the European community (largely British) is important because of the effect it has had both on Kenyan development and culture. Referred to by Kenyans as ‘Muzungu’ (singular) or ‘Wazungu’ (plural), a Swahili word which roughly translates as ‘European’ but can also be translated as  ‘something strange and startling’, the European community is largely synonymous with the British settlers, who began arriving in the so-called ‘colony’ of Kenya after it was declared a British protectorate in 1895.

An eclectic mix of landless aristocrats, big-game hunters and ex-service men, they rapidly acquired much of Kenya’s best farming land. They also achieved notoriety thanks to the riotous lifestyle of a very small group of wealthy sybarites who settled in the so-called ‘Happy Valley’ area of central Kenya, and inspired the book (and later the film) ‘White Mischief’. Unlike the majority of the previous ethnic migrants, most of whom had intermingled with the local population, the British came with the intention of introducing cultural change, rather than participating in cultural exchange.  Thus, though the British settlers represented a resourceful and industrious community, the effect of their arrival upon the indigenous Kenyan culture was profound. British dress, language, architecture, farming, manners, religion and leisure pursuits were imposed, whether the Kenyan people liked it or not. Today the dwindling ‘Muzungu’ community is a blend of third generation ‘white Kenyans’, temporary business folk and members of the international aid community, many of whom are actively engaged in preserving or celebrating Kenya’s traditional cultural heritage. Approximately half of Kenya’s European population lives in Nairobi, many of them in the select suburb of Karen, which was named after Karen Blixen, author of the famous novel (and later film) ‘Out of Africa’.