Where do the Kikuyu people traditionally live in Kenya?

The Kikuyu people traditionally live in the highland areas of south-central Kenya, specifically in the region near Mount Kenya.1

Historically, the Kikuyu expanded from their territory in the Fort Hall area—known today as Murang'a—clearing forests to establish agricultural land. By the end of the 19th century, their territory was bounded by the Aberdare Range to the west and the presence of the Maasai to the north and south. While they traditionally resided in separate domestic family homesteads, the British colonial government relocated many Kikuyu into villages during the 1950s, a settlement pattern that persisted for many after the emergency period ended.21