Kalenjin
Kalenjin, any member of the Kipsikis (Kipsigis), Nandi, Pokot, or other related peoples of west-central Kenya, northern Tanzania, and Uganda who speak Southern Nilotic languages of the Nilo-Saharan language family.
The Kalenjin peoples probably expanded into the Rift Valley about ad 1500. During the 18th century a Maasai expansion pushed them into the area between the Rift Valley and Lake Victoria, where they live today. They depend for their subsistence primarily on agriculture. The name Kalenjin, which means βI tell you,β was adopted in the 1940s.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.
Citation Information
Article Title:
Kalenjin
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
24 September 2010
Access Date:
November 14, 2026