Samburu

The Samburu are people of Nilotic origin living in northern Kenya. With a population of about 160,000 individuals, the Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists who live primarily on their herds of sheep, sheep and camels. They are polygamous and live in manyattas. These dwellings in concentric circles, formed of branches of acacia with hard spiky thorns, protect from predators the houses in the centre and the cattle in the periphery.

“Samburu” has a reputation for meaning “butterfly.” But if the young warriors can sometimes seem fragile and almost effeminate, because of their slenderness, one should not be misled by appearances as they continue to play an active role in protecting the community and herds.