Why did Mijikenda live in Kayas?

The reason why the Mijikenda lived in Kayas is that they needed a safe haven. The kayas initially served the Mijikenda as fortified villages or homesteads, often surrounded by thick wooden fences and hidden from the surrounding settlements as a security measure. The kayas were traditionally guarded by young Mijikenda men wielding arrows and a protective talisman known as a fingo.