Kisii people
Ethnic group of Kenya / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Abagusii (also known as Kisii (Mkisii/Wakisii) in Swahili, or Gusii in Ekegusii) are a Bantu ethnic group and nation indigenous to Kisii and Nyamira counties of former Nyanza, as well as parts of Kericho and Bomet counties of the former Rift Valley province of Kenya.
 Abagusii people singing and dancing while playing a native harp (aka Obokano) | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 2,703,235[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Kenya | |
| Languages | |
| Ekegusii | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Traditional Beliefs, Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Abakuria,[2] Ameru,[3] Embu,[3] Kikuyu,[3] Mbeere,[3] Kipsigis,[4] Maasai[4] Linguistic-Relationship:Ngurimi,[2] Zanaki,[3]Ikoma,[3]Rangi,[2] Mbugwe,[2]Simbiti.[2] Maragoli[3] and Suba people (Kenya)[3] |
| Gusii (Goosie) | |
|---|---|
| Person | Omogusii |
| People | Abagusii |
| Language | Ekegusii |
| Country | Gusii |
| Part of a series on the |
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The Abagusii traditionally inhabit Kisii and Nyamira counties, as well as sections of Kericho and Bomet counties, all of which were within the former Nyanza and Rift Valley provinces of Kenya. Studies of East African Bantu languages[2] and anthropological evidence suggests that the Abagusii, together with Kuria, Ngurimi, Rangi, Mbugwe, Simbiti, Zanaki and Ikoma, emerged from East African Neolithic agropastoralists and hunters/gatherers[5][6][7] believed to have come from the North of Mt. Elgon.[3] It's also believed that there was heavy influence on the Abagusii from Bantu speakers migrating out of Central Africa and West Africa; certain groups of the Abagusii may have been assimilated from the Luhya and Olusuba speaking Suba people, which originated from west of Lake Victoria.[8] The majority of Abagusii are closely related to the Maasai, Kipsigis, Abakuria, and Ameru of Kenya.
The Abagusii also have a close linguistic relationship with the Ngurimi, Rangi, Mbugwe, Simbiti,[2] Zanaki, Ikoma and Maragoli people. They speak the Ekegusii language which is classified with the Great Lakes Bantu languages. However, the inclusion of Abagusii in the Bantu language group is a subject of debate, given that studies on East African Bantu languages have found Ekegusii, together with the Kuria, Simbiti, Ngurimi, Rangi and Mbugwe languages to be rather distinct from other Bantu languages in terms of structure and tense.[2]