History of Kenya
Mrs.
Nardi's 9th Grade World History Class
Lenox Memorial High School, Lenox, Massachusetts
Maasai and Kikuyu
As was their cultural style, the Kikuyu developed relationships with many of their neighbors. For example, even though it is commonly thought that the Maasai and Kikuyu were enemies, they established an alliance between them which was a mutually beneficial one. During the Maasai Purko and Laikipiak wars, which occurred somewhere around 1875, the Maasai refugees found protection from the hardships and conflict within the Kikuyu community (Muriuki 66). Of course, there were many incidents of cattle raiding between tribes but for the most part these events were perfunctory and reciprocal. Many Maasai had traded and intermarried with Kikuyu and so were welcomed by their relatives into Kikuyu society.
Maasai Warrior
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Kikuyu Warriors in 1900
Photograph from Cultures of the World: Kenya by Robert Pateman
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Photograph from Kenyatta by Jeremy Murray-Brown
Kikuyu Warrior
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Photograph from Cultures of the World: Kenya by Robert Pateman