Asagidzu[1] | |
---|---|
Total population | |
<25,000 (2012)[2] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Tanzania | 18,688 (1969)[3] |
Kenya | 8,000 (2012)[2][a] |
Languages | |
Segeju, Digo, Swahili[3] | |
Religion | |
Predominantly Islam[5] | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Dhaiso, Kamba, Mijikenda, Shirazi, Swahili, other Bantu peoples[1] | |
|
The Segeju (Swahili: Wasegeju; Mijikenda: Asagidzu) are a Bantu ethnolinguistic group mostly based in Tanzania's Tanga Region (particularly Mkinga District) and Kenya's Kwale County.[1][5] Most Segeju reside in the small coastal strip between the Tanzanian city of Tanga and the Kenyan-Tanzanian border. However, some Segeju have migrated to urban areas in other parts of Tanzania or Kenya (e.g. Mombasa), in hopes of better employment opportunities and quality of life. Segeju migration to urban areas often results in severance of community ties, leading to a lack of transmission of important cultural traditions and language.[4][1]
In 2012, the Segeju population was estimated to number fewer than 25,000,[2] with fewer than 7,000 speaking the Segeju language.[3][6] The Segeju have kinship relations with the Digo people, who are part of the nine tribes of the Mijikenda.[4] Additionally, the Segeju have affines with the nearby Swahili and Shirazi.[1] As a result, many Segeju have adopted the Swahili and Digo languages as mediums for wider communication.[3]