The
Samburu are a
Nilotic people of north-central
Kenya that are related to but distinct from the
Maasai. The Samburu are semi-
nomadic pastoralists who herd mainly cattle but also keep sheep, goats and camels. The name they use for themselves is
Lokop or
Loikop, a term which may have a variety of meanings which Samburu themselves do not agree on. Many assert that it refers to them as "owners of the land" ("lo" refers to ownership, "nkop" is land) though others present a very different interpretation of the term. The Samburu speak
Samburu, which is a
Nilo-Saharan language. There are many game parks in the area, one of the most well known is
Samburu National Reserve.