People
From the earliest days, the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Portuguese
built settlements here. Much of the coast came under the control
of Zanzibar Island.
The sultan of Zanzibar leased land to become known as British East
Africa. Many British and other Europeans moved in and settled in
the highlands.
Today there is about 50 different ethnic groups here in Kenya.
Among them are Kalenjin, Kikuyo, and Luo.
Language
English and Swahili are the languages taught throughout the country,
but there are many other tribal languages. These include Kikuyu,
Luhia, Luo and Kikamba as well as a plethora of minor tribal tongues.
It's extremely useful for the traveller to have a working knowledge
of Swahili, especially outside the urban areas and in remote parts
of the country.
Another language you'll come across is Sheng, spoken almost exclusively
by the younger members of society. A fairly recent development,
Sheng is a mixture of Swahili and English along with a fair sprinkling
of other languages.
Religion
Most Kenyans outside the coastal and eastern provinces are Christians
of one sort or another, while most of those on the coast and in
the eastern part of the country are Muslim. Muslims make up some
30% of the population.
In the more remote tribal areas you'll find a mixture of Muslims,
Christians and those who follow their ancestral tribal beliefs.
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