The migration and settlement of different people from various language groups in Kenya has had many different effects to the society some of which are incidental while most are intentional. Some of these effects are described as follows;
Settlement in new areas after migration has in some instances led to war between the people who are migrating and the people whom they find there. Some of these wars are mostly because of the feeling that the visitors are intruding into the privacy of the local communities in the area and if not solved, it can lead to deaths and loss of property.
Some communities are displaced by the migrating groups for example in the past, the abagusii were displaced by the luo and kalenjins from where they had settled at first. The Bantus were also displaced from shungwaya by the galla.such instances are as a result of settlement of different groups from their native areas.
Borrowing of cultural practices by the migrating groups from the people that they interact with during migration. In Kenya for instance it is believed that the Bantu borrowed the practice of circumcision from the Cushitic. New cooking and eating habits are also traits that are easily acquired during the migration and settlement by different groups.
Adoption of economic practices from each other. For instance in the old days Bantus were practicing cultivation of crops and they passed this practice to communities such as the nilotes during migratory interactions. The Bantu groups also learnt about cattle keeping from the nilotes and Cushitic who were the main keeps of livestock in the past.
Languages have also grown from the various cultural interactions to provide a common language of communication. In urban centres like Nairobi, sheng is a slang that has been adopted by the youth as a common language to articulate themselves. In the past, the luo abasuba group came about after interaction between the luhyas and luos.
Lastly these interactions have led to intermarriages which promote peace in the country. Trade activities between different groups that produce different commodities have also been improved. It is therefore evident that migration and settlement has been more beneficial to groups in the country.
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