The history of the Agikuyu people has been passed on from generation to generation. The younger generation of the Agikuyu should be grateful and thankful of the older generation for having passed down the ways of the Agikuyu people from their beginnings and ways of life through word of mouth.
The first parents of the Agikuyu, that is, Gikuyu and Mumbi lived in Mukurwe-ini wa Gathanga (a place that is on the boarder of Murang’a and Nyeri. Gikuyu and Mumbi called God “Mwene -Nyaga” because they believed He used to live up in the Mountain of Kirinyaga. Every time they used to pray they would face in the direction of the mountain Kirinyaga (now Mount Kenya).
One question is whether God created Gikuyu at that same place Mukurwe-ini wa Gathanga or if he was brought there from some other place. This is a hard question because even the old generation knows that Gikuyu and Mumbi lived in Mukurwe-ini wa Gathanga and they did not know if he had ever lived at any other place.
All the story about the origins of the Agikuyu people show that when people started living in this world it’s the same time that Gikuyu was given the Land by God just the way it was and God made Kirinyaga his dwelling place.
Gikuyu was shown where he will be living in Mukurwe-ini was Gathanga and was ordered that every time he was in need of anything, all he needed to do was offer a sacrifice, praising God as he raised his hands towards Kirinyaga and by so doing GIkuyu would be given anything he needed.
History shows that the Agikuyu people are Bantus. In Africa there are other Bantus such as the Ataita, Agiriama, Apokomo, and Abaluhya. In Tanzania we have the Achaga, In Uganda we have the Buganda and in South Africa we have the Zulus.
In the Old Testament in the book of Exodus, the people of Israel prayed to God in Mountains like in Mount Sinai. They also used to offer sacrifices by slaughtering animals such as sheep and use the blood to offer the sacrifices.
The way of life of the people of Israel has similarities with those of the Agikuyu people and that is why we see that all people everywhere in the world were created at the same place and later spread out.
Mukurwe wa Gathanga is a place that is in the boarder of Murang’a and Nyeri. It’s a very popular place because it’s where Gikuyu and Mumbi gave birth to their children.
Gikuyu had ten daughters and nine out of the ten got married except one who got pregnant out of wedlock. All the ten daughters gave birth to their children who today are associated with the name of their mother.
The daughters with one name are Wanjiru, Wambui, Wangari and Wanjiku. Those with two names are Wanjeri or Waceera, Nyambura or Wakiuru, Wangeci or Waithera, Wairimu or Gathigia, Wangui or Waithiegeni and Wamuyu or Warigia.