Kenya is a multi-ethnic state in the Great Lakes region of East Africa. It has a very diverse population that includes most major ethnic, racial and linguistic groups found in Africa. Bantu and Nilotic populations together constitute around 97% of the nation’s inhabitants, with some Cushitic-speaking ethnic minorities in the north. Kenya’s largest ethnic group is the Kikuyu, making up close to a fifth of the country’s population. For a country whose politics have been characterized by ethnic tensions and rivalry between the larger groups, coming from a populous tribe is a big win, more so for a presidential candidate.
Here are the top 10 most populous tribes in Kenya.
| Rank | Tribe | Population |
| 1. | Kikuyu | 8,148,668 |
| 2. | Luhya | 6,823,842 |
| 3. | Kalenjin | 6,358,113 |
| 4. | Kamba | 5,066,966 |
| 5. | Luo | 4,663,910 |
| 6. | Kenyan Somali | 2,780,502 |
| 7. | Kisii | 2,703,235 |
| 8. | Mijikenda | 2,488,691 |
| 9. | Meru | 1,975,869 |
| 10. | Maasai | 1,189,522 |
