SUMMARY

The relation between two of Kenya’s largest ethnic groups the Kikuyu and Lou have been strained for a long time. Many Lou feels that they have been cheated on by Kikuyu during history. Jaramogi Odinga (father to Raila Odinga) in 1963 fell out with Kenya’s founding President Jomo Kenyatta. In 1969 the rift between the two groups increased when a prominent Lou politician was assassinated and this was blamed on Kenyatta’s regime. After the 2002 election Odinga said that he was promised a position as prime minister by Kibaki but this was not implemented. The Kikuyu feel that it was their blood that was offered in the Mau Mau fight against British colonialism and therefore they have the right to the spoils of victory, not the Lou. The Kikuyu has also been more economically successful than many other groups creating tension with other groups as the Lou.

The non-state conflict between Kikuyu and Lou is first included in UCDP data in 2008. In January that year, fighting between the two groups led to more than 25 battle-related deaths.