The Kamba were originally grouped into some 25 dispersed patrilineal clans (utui) of varying size, which were often mutually hostile. The Akamba have 14 major clans and 11 minor clans. This makes a total of 25 clans. When a family grows into a clan, it is natural that the clan grows and separates into several clans. This did happen to the Akamba.
Their social and territorial boundaries were flexible, and the system seems more to have been a response to fluid geographical groupings rather than strictly determined by ancestry or tradition. There seem to have been few if any institutions of centralized political authority, although in times of external threat, military action could be coordinated across the whole tribe.
Clan meetings were called mbai, and through them political matters that affected the whole tribe were decided. The British abolished the system in the nineteenth century, imposing appointed leaders instead. Nowadays, elections and modern politics are the usual source of political power.
Below is a list of the twenty-five clans of the Akamba.
1.Aombe
2.Atangwa
3.Ethanga
4.Aambua
5.Amuuti
6.Amutei
7.Aanziu
8.Ekuua
9.Ekanga
10.Aiini
11.Amwei
12.Mulea itema
13.Amuunda
14.Akitutu
15.Anzauni
16.Akimii
17.Aumoni
18.Angwina
19.Amiw’a
20.Akitondo
21.Atwii
22.Euwani