I am an Kenya from the Kikuyu (Gikuyu) tribe of Kenya who are part of the larger Bantu group of Africa. According to Kikuyu legend, in the beginning God created a man called Gikuyu and took him to the top of Kirinyanga (current Mt Kenya) and showed him all the surrounding land and bestowed it to him commanding him to establish his home there. God then provided Gikuyu with a wife by the name of Mumbi and they had nine daughters, from which the 9 principal Kikuyu clans namely; Achera, Agachiku, Airimu, Ambui, Angare, Anajiru, Angui, Aithaga and Aitherandu originated from.

Almost all Kikuyu women have their name emanating from one of these clan names. Legend has it that when the daughters were of age for marriage, Gikuyu offered a sacrifice to God under a fig tree (sacred to the Kikuyus) and God provided husbands for the nine daughters. 

The Kikuyus base their organization on the family unity (nyumba). Several families are combined to form a homestead (Mucii) which is part of a sub-group (Mbari). The sub-group makes up nine clans (muhiriga). A tenth clan is sometimes added but only nine are counted because it is considered taboo to count people, children or livestock.

Before a young man (mwanake) could become a warrior he had to undergo the rite of passage. A warrior would eventually graduate to the council of elders (kiama) of which a few composed the secret council (njama). The council was responsible for settling disputes. Disputes that the council could not resolve were determined by the ordeal of the hot knife. The extent of the blistering on the tongue determined guilt or innocence. Alternatively the culprits would take an oath proclaiming their innocence.

The Kikuyu man is known as “Muthuri”, meaning someone who can choose or discern evil from good and the woman is called “Mutumia” which means someone who retains family secrets and practices. Traditionally the Kikuyu society was polygamous, but this practice is no longer practiced due to their adopted Christian faith and for economic reasons. A man could only take a second wife in consultation with his wife and only if he could effectively provide for both of them.

The Kikuyus also practiced surrogate parenting where if a woman was barren, she could “marry” another woman to have children for her with her husband but the children would be considered hers. The surrogate mother would remain in the homestead but she would be subject to the woman not the husband. This similar to what the Hebrews practiced in the Old Testament.