In
Kenya and the northern part of Tanzania, there live a semi-nomadic group of people
called the Maasai. Because this ethnic group lives in close proximity to the
game parks of Kenya, they are one of the more known tribes in Africa. As an
ethnic group, the Maasai are made up of different sections such as the Isiria,
Ilarusa, Kore, Isikirari and Parakuyu. The majority of the Maasai people live
in Kenya.
In
a 2007 census, the population of the Maasai was said to be at approximately
650,000 in Kenya and 646,000 in Tanzania. In Kenya, the 2009 census places the
population of the Maasai at 840,000. Although there have been invitations and
even programs encouraging the Maasai people to give up their semi-nomadic way
of life, some members of the tribe continue to live according to the customs of
their ancestors.
