The Peoples of Kenya to the 19th Century
Kenyan History · Peoples and Migrations
Syllabus tag: KCSE | History and Government | Form 1 | Topic 7 The Peoples of Kenya
Lesson objectives
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
- Identify the language groups into which Kenya's peoples are classified.
- Describe the origins, migration and settlement of the Cushites and Bantu.
- Describe the migration and settlement of the Nilotes.
- Explain the reasons for and the results of these migrations.
Summary
Kenya's peoples are classified by language into Bantu, Nilotes and Cushites, with the Khoisan as the earliest inhabitants. The Bantu came from the Congo–Niger region, the Nilotes from the Nile valley in southern Sudan, and the Cushites from Ethiopia and Somalia. All migrated for broadly the same reasons, and the migrations produced intermarriage, trade, conflict and cultural exchange.