THE WAKIKUYU AND WAKAMBA 



raids and famines which used to decimate them, 

 what will happen in the future. Strictly speaking 

 they are not fighters and are useless as regular (or 

 irregular) soldiers, being purely agricultural in in- 

 clination ; and it is with surprise that I have read 

 of the trouble they have caused to travellers in 

 the past. 



One inconvenient habit they have is to occupy 

 land for a few years, plant out their shambas, build 

 grass huts and live there until they think the land 

 is somewhat exhausted ; then they move on farther, 

 burn a clearing in the forest and plant on the fresh 

 and fertile spot, and so on. Now, I expect they will 

 be stopped from doing this and causing such waste 

 of good land, for settlers are taking up land all 

 around and among them. 



South-east of Nairobi, stretching away each 

 side of the Athi River, on a large tract of coun- 

 try live the Wakamba, an important Bantu tribe. 

 Their fear of the raiding Masai was so great that 

 they invariably lived hidden in the hills, a great 

 number being around Machakos on the Iveti Moun- 

 tains. Their total number is considerable, I be- 

 lieve it has been estimated at 1,000,000 in the Iveti 

 Mountain district alone. Though they are an 

 agricultural tribe, they have not dared, till lately, to 

 cultivate the rich lands which lie at the base of 

 their mountains, for fear of their enemies, and for 



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