Back شعب بوكومو ARZ Pokomo German Pokomoj EO Pokomo (peuple) French Pokomo (popolo) Italian Покомо (эл) KY Pokomai LT Покомо Russian Wapokomo Swahili Покомо Ukrainian
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2007) |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 112,075 (Kenya) (2019)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Kenya | |
| Languages | |
| Pokomo • English | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly: Islam Minority: Christianity[2] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Mijikenda, Swahili, other Bantu peoples |
The Pokomo people are a Bantu ethnic group of southeastern Kenya. Their population in Kenya was 112,075 in 2019.[1] They are a distinct ethnic group with their own sub-clans/tribes. Despite their proximity, they are not of the nearby Mijikenda people. They are predominantly agriculturalists and both freshwater and ocean fishermen living along the Tana River in Tana River County. They speak the Pokomo language, which is similar to Swahili.
The Pokomo population is split into two groups: the Upper Pokomo, who make up 75% of the population, and the Lower Pokomo. The Upper Pokomo are mainly Muslim, and have been so since the end of the 19th century.[3] The Lower Pokomos, who live along the lower part of the Tana up to the delta, are mainly Christians, converting to the religion by the early 20th century.[4] Ethnologue indicates that the group is mainly Muslim.[5]
- ^ a b "2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume IV: Distribution of Population by Socio-Economic Characteristics". Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ^ "Kipfokomo: A language of Kenya". Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ^ Ndzovu, Hassan Juma (2024-03-20), "Islam in Kenya", Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190277734.013.1271, ISBN 978-0-19-027773-4, retrieved 2024-05-09
- ^ "People of Kenya: Pokomo". Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ^ "Kipfokomo: A language of Kenya". Retrieved 2013-04-18.