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Kenya Culture, Population and Tribes
The population of Kenya is about 28 million. Almost all are of African descent. The largest minorities are Asians, Europeans and Arabs. These three minority groups together represent less than 1% of the population. The official languages are Swahili and English.
There are over 70 tribes found in Kenya. The majority of the tribes are descendants of just two language groups, the Bantu of Western Africa, and the Nilotic from the Nile Valley. As the larger cities attract more people, and as Kenya becomes more like the West, fewer and fewer Kenyans live a traditional tribal life.
Tanzania Culture, Population and Tribes
The population of Tanzania is around 29 million people. Like Kenya, almost all of the population is of African descent. The largest minorities are the Asians and Europeans in the cities, and Arabs on the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. The official languages are Swahili and English.
The majority of the tribes in Tanzania, like the tribes in Kenya, belong to two language groups, the Bantus of Western Africa, and the Nilotics of the Nile Valley. The largest tribe of Nilotics descendants are the Maasai (also spelled Masai).
While on safari, you will often see members of the Maasai tribe because they are the main inhabitants of the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Masai Mara areas. They are also the East African tribe most resistant to the westernization of Africa. They still consider land ownership a foreign concept, and they usually live the life of nomadic herdsmen.
The Maasai are tall and thin. They wear bright red cloaks and can often be seen in the distance grazing their cattle. Because they live in the heart of lion country, they have to protect their cattle from lion attacks. This is one of the responsibilities of the Maasai warriors. Their only weapon is a long spear which they carry with them while tending their herd. They don't preemptively kill predators, they simply protect their cattle from attack. This is one of the reasons why there are still so many predators in this part of the world.
The Maasai live in small tribes clustered in small dome like huts made from sticks and mud. Their principal source of food is the milk and blood of their cattle. They don't kill the cattle to get the blood, they just prick a neck artery and milk the blood from the cow. They mix the milk and the blood together and then drink it.
The Maasai are also known for their jumping. They jump as part of their dancing and tribal rituals. They jump straight up and some of them seem to be able to jump 3 feet in the air without taking a single step forward.
You should definitely try to learn more about this tribe and visit with them while on safari. Ask your safari guide to make arrangements to meet some of the Maasai. They will give you a fresh new perspective on a totally different lifestyle. Be careful about taking photographs of any people you meet. You should have their permission before pointing your camera at them. They are usually not opposed to having their photo taken, they are just opposed to it being taken without their permission. Also, be careful not to push western ideas and values while interacting with them. If they believed in private property, farming, and monetary based trade, there probably wouldn't be a significant number of wild animals to see in East Africa. The Maasai are exceptional caretakers of their natural world which makes their part of the world such a strong attraction to inhabitants of countries where most of the predators and large indigenous grazing animals have been killed off or confined to relatively small protected areas free from constricting fences.
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