{"id":198,"date":"2020-01-04T02:22:35","date_gmt":"2020-01-04T02:22:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kalenjin.co.ke\/?p=198"},"modified":"2021-02-15T11:36:01","modified_gmt":"2021-02-15T11:36:01","slug":"the-making-of-a-kalenjin-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kalenjinmedia.co.ke\/?p=198","title":{"rendered":"The Making of a Kalenjin Nation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
A set up of a Kalenjin kitchen. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The\nKalenjin community belongs to the larger Nilotic group called Highland Nilotes that\nlives mainly in East Africa. It comprises of the following sub-tribes in Kenya:\nKipsigis, Nandi, Keiyo, Marakwet, Sabaot, Pokot, Terik, Ogiek, Tugen and Sengwer.\nThey include Sebei in Uganda and Murle in Sudan. The Kalenjin people can also\nbe traced in some parts of Tanzania, these are Barabaek, Tatireek, Hilbangraek,\nSonjoek, Sirikwaek (Sindawi), Nataek, Badyut and Tatogaeek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kalenjins\nare believed to have descended from two ancestors namely: Kingo and Tapnai.\nThey were blessed with many children. Before the demise of Kingo, his eldest\nson Olchiangwal inherited his younger wife and was named \u201cNon Kindii<\/em>\u201d\nwhich means one who inherits. This was later shortened to Nandi and became a\nsub tribe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His\nother son relocated to a more fertile place and became prolific \u201cKipo-sigis\u201d\nor \u201cKipsigis\u201d <\/em>which simply means the one who gives birth. Another version\nstates that while Kingo\u2019s son was looking after the cattle, he came across a\ntraditional bowl, locally called \u201cKisiet<\/em>\u201d hence he was named \u201cKipsich-Kisiet<\/em>\u201d\nand that probably gave birth to the generation\u2019s name Kipsigis<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One\nof the sons disappeared mysteriously. He was waited for long in vain hence his people\nkept on saying \u201cKigeni<\/em>\u201d which means having hope waiting hence his\ngeneration became Tugen. <\/em>Another son was fondly known for his immense\nlove for milking cows in the field. Whenever Kingo was asked about his\nwhereabouts, he would respond \u201cKei-yoo\u201d <\/em>which simply means \u201cthe mother is\nmilking\u201d hence his generation became Keiyo.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nson who demanded for a ram, locally called \u201cKwesta<\/em>\u201d later became\n\u201cMarakwet\u201d locally \u201cMachkwesta<\/em>\u201d which simply means the one who is in\nneed of a ram. One of the sons was punished for the wrong he had done and out\nof anguish and anger, he fled away from home. Many thought he was dead but his\nmother kept on saying that \u201cSebei\u201d<\/em> which means he is still alive thus\nhis generation became Sebei of Uganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Koony\nand Pokot remained in Kingo\u2019s homestead. \u201cPokoot<\/em>\u201d is a local name which\nmeans the owner of the house. This is probably because he didn\u2019t leave his\nfather\u2019s homestead. Koony means our home. Better known as \u201cKoonyon\u201d<\/em>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nterm Kalenjin was brought about by early scholars of the community probably\nduring 1940s most likely at Alliance High School since people from the community\nwere known to utter the word \u201cKaleei\u201d which simply means \u201cI say\u201d. This word is\ncommon in all the sub-tribes of the Kalenjin ethnic group hence collectively\nknown as Kalenjin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\noriginal name of the Kalenjin is \u201cMiot<\/em>\u201d following their immense love for\nhoney and milk. Kalenjins are believed to be descendants of Lote. <\/em>Miot\ncould also refer to Moabites in the bible. A clear indication that they once\ncame across each other and probably intermarried at a place called Goshen. It\nis important to note that present Kalenjin council of elders is called Miot\nbecause of the mentioned reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ever\nsince, Kalenjin people were monotheists. They were worshipers of one supreme\nbeing called Asis<\/em> that consists of\nmany attributes for instance, Cheptalel <\/em>(God the controller of\neverything), Cheptalil <\/em>(one that glitters or pure), Chebomoni<\/em> (the giver of life) Chepokipkoyo <\/em>(God the\nprotector of life), Chepomirchioo <\/em>( God who oversees), Chepkelyen\nsogol <\/em>(the omnipresent God), Chemalus <\/em>(God knows all), Chepokimabai\n<\/em>(God the controller of harvests), Werit\nneo<\/em> (God is important of all),  Cheboo\n<\/em>( God is great), Chepwooboit <\/em>(God the great worker), Chepkochor <\/em>(God\nis everlasting), Tororot <\/em>(God is the most high).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According\nto Dr. Kipkoech Sambu, Kalenjins are believed to have migrated from Egypt. Most\nKalenjin myths claim that they lived at a place called \u201cBurgei\u201d which means\nwarm place. When blessing a ceremony, they usually say \u201cBurgei kele burgei<\/em>\u201d\nsignifying their originality. \u201cBurgei\u201d is a local word which means warm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nlegendary historian Dr. Sambu argues that the word Egypt was coined from\nKalenjin word \u201cKagipotai\u201d <\/em>which means home of God. Also, the traditional\nKalenjin huts resembles the Egyptian pyramids thus saliently showing the\nrelationship between the two communities. It is also important to note that\nEgyptians use animals as totems for their clans just as Kalenjins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nlinguistic relationship between Egyptian and Kalenjin language justifies the\nfact that Kalenjin lived in Egypt before migrating to other parts of Africa.\nFor instance, Egyptians refer to God as \u201cPtah<\/em>\u201d while Kalenjin called him\n\u201cKiptayat<\/em>\u201d. They both call the sun \u201cAsista\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nKalenjins fled Egypt around 500 BC citing search of greener pastures, draught,\nhostile neighborhood, disease outbreaks, enslavement and attack by powerful\ninvaders called \u201cKipyayamungen\u201d<\/em>. It is worth noting that by the time\nthey fled Egypt, they were approximately 270,000 in number. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\ntheir vortex of migration, the Kalenjin moved slowly southwards and westwards\nwith those going to Chad and West Africa having names like Serere, Wolof, Vai\nAkan (Ghana). Those who went Southwards passed Ethiopia and Sudan and settled\nthere for many years leaving behind some of them as they venture deep into the\nSouthern parts of East Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While\nin Sudan, they occupied areas presently occupied by Oromo, Merille, Agaw,\nHammer and Bodi in the Omo Valley. There is a place in Valley called \u201cSobat\u201d a\nclear indication that they once lived there. This name probably come from Sebei\nor Sabaot sub-tribes. Dr Sambu argues that Ethiopia was coined from the words yetin-ptaiya, yetioptaiya <\/em>or etiopteek<\/em> which was later corrupted by\nGreeks to Ethiopia or Athiopia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kalenjin\nleft salient traces in Ethiopia for instance in the Merille community. This is a\ncommunity of leopard lineage which shares a common denominator with Murle\npeople of Sudan. Pokot of Kenya has a clan by the name Marill which simply\nmeans leopard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oromo\nis another mark that was left by Kalenjins in Ethiopia. Basically, Oromo means\nfierce or strong people. This word survives in Kalenjin as \u201cKorom\u201d<\/em> or \u201cOromen\u201d.\n<\/em>Kalenjins are fond of letter \u201cK\u201d hence it is salient that Oromo was coined\nfrom Kalenjin word \u201cKorom\u201d. Oromo is a community in Ethiopia that boasts of\ngreat long-distance runners bearing semblance with the Kalenjin people who are\nknown globally as best long-distance athletes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nis believed that while migrating to Kenya and other parts of Africa, their\njourney was barred by a lake that no one would dare cross but an elder,\nprobably a leader stepped up and sang \u201cbeekab kamama yas ole yas<\/em>\u201d\n\u201cwaters of maternal uncles, part say part\u201d. Magically, water parted and they\ncomfortably passed. On reaching the other side of lake, the same elder intoned\n\u201cbeekab kamama king kole king\u201d<\/em> \u201cwaters of maternal uncles meet say meet\u201d\nand as fate would have it, water met killing the enemy instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nKalenjin entirely had an organized system of governance. They were ruled and\ngoverned by council of elders, where Orgoiyot was the chief medicine man,\nreligious leader and a guider of the community. As captured by the local name Oorkoi\nwhich means the highest house of the most intelligent people. Orgoyot was the\nhighest leadership in the Kalenjin Nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During\npre-colonial period, Kalenjin organization on social, economic and political\nsystem was unmatched. Religious practices were strictly adhered to and that led\nto well-rounded members. When the missionaries arrived in Kenya in the 1900s,\nthey noticed that members of the Kalenjin community had eggshell like teeth\nhence calling them men of good teeth thereby giving birth to the name \u201cbikab\nkutit\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kalenjin\npeople since time immemorial have demonstrated admirable leadership qualities. From\nKoitalel arap Samoei, Daniel Toroitich arap Moi, Professor Yusuf Lule of Sebei\nin Uganda to Dr William Samoe Ruto, the Kalenjins just like the Israelites, are\narguably the most blessed people in the region. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Kalenjin community belongs to the larger Nilotic group called Highland Nilotes that lives mainly…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kalenjinmedia.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kalenjinmedia.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kalenjinmedia.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kalenjinmedia.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kalenjinmedia.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=198"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kalenjinmedia.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kalenjinmedia.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kalenjinmedia.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kalenjinmedia.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kalenjinmedia.co.ke\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}