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EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA TO THE STATE OF KUWAIT WITH ACCREDITATION TO THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN AND REPUBLIC OF LEBANON

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History

Origin of name

Kenya is named after a mountain of the same name. The Kikuyu people who lived around present day Mt Kenya referred to it as Kirinyaga or Kerenyaga, meaning ‘mountain of whiteness’ because of its snow capped peak. Mt Kirinyaga which was the main landmark became synonymous with the territory the British later claimed as their colony. However, the name Kenya arose out of the inability of the British to pronounce Kirinyaga correctly.