Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Which name did Jomo Kenyatta use before he became known as Jomo Kenyatta?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Jomo Kenyatta
African statesman and nationalist Jomo Kenyatta was the first prime minister (1963–64) and then the first president (1964–78) of independent Kenya.
Before he was known as Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of Kenya was born with the name Kamau, son of Ngengi.1
In August 1914, he was baptized with the name Johnstone Kamau. Later, while working in Nairobi, he adopted the name Kenyatta, which was derived from a Kikuyu term for a fancy belt he wore. He eventually adopted the name Jomo—meaning "Burning Spear"—in 1938, around the time his study of Kikuyu culture, Facing Mount Kenya, was published.12