The Cushites

The Cushites are few in number and comprise only a fragment of Kenya's population. These nomads roam the arid northern fringes of habitable country grazing their herds. Cushites can also be found in the desolate region surrounding Lake Turkana as well as remote coastal areas. Among the many tribes, only the Somali number more than a few thousand. The Boni, Wata, Yaaka and Dahalo tribes are small groups of hunter-gatherers living in the coastal hinterlands. Some 4,200 strong, they once traded ivory and honey, but today concentrate on farming and herding cattle. The Boran are a nomadic tribe living in the north-east of Kenya and number more than 70,000. The Burji are settled farmers in the Moyale and Marsabit districts. They grow maize, teff (cereal), beans, pumpkins, coffee, cotton, and tobacco. They weave garments, bado and kuta, from the cotton they grow and are well-known traders in urban Kenya. The Dassenich farm after the seasonal rains and fish on Lake Turkana in their dug out canoes. Dassenich men are known for their elaborate haristyles and head dresses of ostrich feathers. The El-Molo tribe, once numbering fewer than 500, maintains a subsistence living by fishing from their doum palm rafts on Lake Turkana. Cattle herding, commercial fishing, and tourism now supplement their traditional economy. Other Cushite tribes include the Gabbra, Orma, Sakuye, Galla, and Rendille.

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