Budget Kenya Tour Packages, Best Tour Operator in Kenya , Local Tour Operator in Kenya , Local Travel Agent in Kenya, Travel Hed, With forty-two tribes and more than forty million residents, the history and the culture of Kenya reads like a soap opera, and has developed over hundreds of years of social progression with significant foreign, regional and local influences. The Great Migrations into Kenya The ethnic groups that exist in Kenya are not originally from Kenya and their distinct cultural habits and ideals are illustrative of these origins. Primarily, the Kenyan ethnic groupings are products of the great migrations that occurred in Africa since the early 2000BC. For instance: The Bantus are tribes including the Kikuyu, Meru and Akamba, etc., believed to have migrated from West Africa. The Nilotes comprise of tribes such as the Luo and the Maasai, and migrated to Kenya from South Sudan. The Cushites such as the Oromo among others migrated from Southern Ethiopa. Influx of Asian Cultures In addition to African influences in Kenya, during the 8th Century, there was an influx of foreign cultures such as Asian traders: Chinese, Arabic, Persian and Indian origins came into the Kenyan coast to advance their trading ventures. The intermarriage between these foreign cultures and local cultures resulted in a new cultural phenomenon that was partly African and partly Arabic, referred to as Swahili. Swahili is the second official language in Kenya. Portuguese Influence It wasn't until the 16th century that the Portuguese swarmed into Kenya to take advantage of the massive trading opportunities offered by the East African coastline as a trading route. Needless to say, local cultures at the Kenyan coast absorbed some Portuguese culture in terms of language and way of life. British Colonization The colonization by the British had the most impact on the culture dynamics and history of Kenya economically, socially and politically. The Europeans brought with them new cultural ideals and principles that were enforced into local cultures to form the belief systems and ideologies of ethnic groupings and Kenya culture as they exist to date. This includes: The introduction of Christianity A new language- English, which is the first official language in Kenya Formal education And adoption of new ways of living in terms of arts, music and sports. The Effects of History and Culture on Modern Kenya The history of Kenya and its global influences are clearly conveyed in today's Kenya in every facet of life, from the food, music, dance and clothing styles to the languages spoken and ethnic diversity and religious beliefs held.