Website of Dr. Galen Royer Frysinger
© Dr. Galen Royer Frysinger
People of Africa
the Maasai
The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group
inhabiting southern Kenya and northern
Tanzania. They are among the best known local
populations due to their residence near the
many game parks of the African Great Lakes,
and their distinctive customs and dress. The
Maasai speak the Maa language, a member of
the Nilo-Saharan family that is related to Dinka
and Nuer languages. Some have become
educated in the official languages of Kenya and
Tanzania, Swahili and English. The Maasai
population has been reported as numbering
841,622 in Kenya in the 2009 census, compared
to 377,089 in the 1989 census.