The Samburu Tribe of Kenya

The Samburu tribe of Kenya is closely related to the Maasai. The Samburu people moved from Sudan and settled north of Mount Kenya and south of lake Turkana in the Rift Valley province of Kenya. Like the Maasai, the Samburu belong to the Maa speaking group of people. The Samburu and Maasai languages share words but the Samburu dialect is spoken in a more rapid manner than the Maasai language . Samburu people are semi nomadic pastrolist . Like the Maasai, livestock is the most important part of their livelihood. Samburu herd cattle, sheep, goats and camels.

The Samburu wear their traditional attire which is a bright red material worn like a skirt. They also wear multi-beaded necklaces , bracelets and earrings. Samburu warriors paste their hair with red ochre to create a visor to shield their eyes from the sun. Samburu people have many traditional ceremonies. These include the birth of a child, initiation and marriage. Boys are circumcised in their teenage. Moran is a term used in both Maasai and Samburu community to refer to a warrior. Like the Maasai, the Samburu also mix blood and milk to make their traditional drink.