Kamba / Akamba / Wakamba
The Kamba or Akamba people are a Bantu ethnic group – or tribe – who predominantly live in the area of Kenya stretching from Nairobi to Tsavo and north to Embu, in the southern part of the former Eastern Province. This land is called Ukambani and constitutes Makueni County, Kitui County and Machakos County. They are also found in the coastal Kwale County, Mombasa and Kilifi County as well as parts of Tana River County.
Sources vary on whether Kambas are the third-, fourth- or fifth-largest ethnic group in Kenya. They comprise up to 11 percent of Kenya’s population. They speak the Bantu Kikamba language as a mother tongue. The total population of the Kamba stands at approximately 4.1 million. They are also called Akamba or Wakamba.
The Kamba of Kenya are numbering 5,220,000. They are also found in Tanzania and Uganda. Globally, this group totals 5,366,000 in 3 countries. (Peoplegroups.org, 2024)