The Kamba Tribe
The Kamba people are the Fifth-largest ethnic community in Kenya after the Kikuyu,
Kalenjin, Luhya and Luo communities. They are approximately 2.5 million people. A large number of this population occupies the lower part of the Eastern Province, in the districts of Makueni, Machakos, Kitui and Mwingi popularly known as Ukambani. The Kamba people are not only found in Kenya but also in other countries such as Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are different versions of myths explaining the possible origin of the Kamba people.
The creation myth is the most popular among the people. This myth has two versions. The first version stipulates that Mulungu, the creator of the universe, created the first man and woman and placed them on top of one of the hills in Mbooni district- Nzaui. The two then became the parents of the entire Kamba community. According to this myth, Mulungu also created all that is in possession of the Kamba people. The other version of the creation myth says that the Mulungu did not place them on top of Mt. Nzaui but pulled them from the earth via a hole on top of the mountain. The two then became the ancestors of the Kamba people. Mulungu then provided them with domestic animals and brought rain to the land. These two versions constitute a core part in the oral traditions of the Kamba people.
Historians argue that Ukambani has been the homeland of the people for approximately the last four centuries. They exclusively state that they came from the plains of Mt. Kilimanjaro in the Southern part of Kenya . They migrated into Kenya in the 14th century and settled in Taveta until the 17th century when they dispersed to the lower parts of the Eastern province. The major reason for migration was their search of water and pasture for their livestock. They possessed large herds of domestic animals particularly cattle and they practiced farming. Despite their relentless search for fertile lands, they settled in the arid and semi-arid regions of the Eastern province. The Ukambani region faces recurrent crop failures due to drought and large swarms of locusts that invade their crop fields. However, some spiritual experts attribute the recurrent crop failures in Ukambani as a punishment for killing a man of God, Dr. Ludwig Krapf.
The basic unit of the traditional Kamba community is the extended family, which forms one of the fundamental foundations in the Kamba community. Members of the extended family constitute a clan, mbai. The elderly members of the clan form the council of elders who oversee all the activities of the clan. They also set the rules and regulations that govern the whole clan and punished all who broke the rules. The clan plays a pivotal role in protecting the cultural values of the community because the Kamba people strongly believe that culture is the hallmark of people’s consciousness.
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