culture of the akamba

The Kamba tribe, also called the Akamba, is a Bantu ethnic group residing in the semi - arid Eastern Province of Kenya. Their homeland stretches east from Nairobi towards the Tsavo and Northeast to Embu. ... They speak the Kamba(or Kikamba) language. Kamba people have special skills in woodcarving and basketry. 

The young Kamba man ‘mwanake’ was always a step ahead on fashion matters in what was to become Kenya. While the main purpose of such fashion was to impress the girls especially during local dances, they were also keen and show other communities that the Akamba were a proud wealthy nation. Traditional wear as any fashion items were evolving over time and nomenclature varied according to different parts of Ukambani. This article seeks the most common names used in regions where such data was available.

The Akamba did not have permanent head dress. Feathers from certain birds could be worn by warriors to aid in identification during battle. There was no standard hair style and individuals either partially/clean shaved or maintained hair in a style that suited them. In general, Kamba men kept facial hair to a minimum.

Like most other communities, Kamba men made and enlarged holes in their earlobes. A type of cylindrical ornament called the Kivuli was used as a decorative and an enlargement device during after the earlobe enlargement process. The model in the picture is shown with metal chain ear rings of called the Munyo. Another type of ear ring of copper or brass was called Mulia wa Kutu.

The kamba men were delighted and passionate in hunting