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 Samburu speak Samburu which is a Nilo-Saharan language. There are about 160,000 Samburu people in Kenya but they represent more than 80% of the population of north-central Kenya.