Mbeere people

"Mbeere" redirects here. For the language, seeMbeere language.

Mbeere

Map of the population aroundMount Kenya(infrench)
Total population
195,250
Regions with significant populations
Kenya
Languages
Embu(Kīmbeere dialect) •English
Religion
African Traditional Religion•Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Kikuyu,Embu,Meru,Kamba,SonjoandDhaiso

TheMbeereorAmbeerepeople are aBantuethnic group inhabiting the formerMbeere Districtin the now-defunct Eastern Province ofKenya.According to the 2019 Kenya National census, there are 195,250Mbeere who inhabit an area of 2,093 km².They speak Kīmbeere language, a dialect ofEmbu,which is very similar to the languages spoken by their neighbours, theKamba,EmbuandKikuyu.

History

The Mbeere are ofBantuorigin.Like the closely relatedKikuyu,Embu,MeruandKamba,they are concentrated in the vicinity ofMount Kenya.The exact place that the Mbeere's ancestors migrated from after the initialBantu expansionfrom West Africa is uncertain. Some authorities suggest that they arrived in their present Mount Kenya homeland from earlier settlements to the north and east,while others argue that the Mbeere – along with closely related Eastern Bantu peoples such as theKikuyu,Embu,MeruandKamba– moved into Kenya from further south.

Economy

Most Mbeere are farmers who grow a variety of crops including mangoes, melons, pawpaws, passion fruits, maize, beans, cowpeas, pigeon peas, black peas, millet, sorghum, etc.

The former Mbeere District is known formiraa,of which it was the second largest producer afterMeru County.The miraa crop is commonly grown in the northern part of the district. Apart from the Miraa and other farming activities, Mbeere District was known as the source of the building materials such as rocks, ballast, and sand used all over Kenya. Charcoal was also widely produced in Mbeere District. Other economic activities such basket making, ropes, and rearing animals such as cows and goats were also prevalent in the district.