The Samburu are a tribe that lives mainly in northern Kenya and are closely related to the Maasai. One story about their origins tells of how two brothers went their separate ways from the foot of Mount Kenya. Taking with them half of the cattle and goats each, one brother headed north and founded the Samburu people while the other went south and founded the Maasai. The authenticity of this story is doubtful, but the culture of the Samburu and Maasai are indeed very similar.

The Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists whose customs and way of life have remained almost unchanged for hundreds of years. I had the honour and joy of visiting and photographing these people as part of my tour of Kenya in July of 2004. My impression of the Samburu is that they are a very proud people who are largely resistant to change or modernization, but they are most eager and happy to show visitors their cultural heritage.

I only had an hour with the Samburu, but the high-spirits, energy, confidence and pride of these people were very apparent to me during my short visit. I hope to portray some of the essence of these people through my photos here. Thank you for visiting this gallery, and as always, your comments and feedback are most welcomed.