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Kalenjin
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Kipsikis
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Kalenjin

people
Also known as: Highland Nilotes, Nilo-Hamites
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Support Gideon Moi, Gachagua urges Kalenjin leaders • Nov. 4, 2026, 4:00 PM ET (The Standard)

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 “I tell you,” was adopted in the 1940s.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.