TRAVEL WITH MERCY IN KENYA.

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AGIKUYU COMMUNITY

Agikuyu community has a rich history. They are the largest tribe in Kenya. They reside in every part of Kenya but their original homeland is the central part of Kenya. Mount Kenya is not only a beautiful scenery to look at but also very symbolic to this community. The story of this Bantu tribe begins with Gikuyu and Mumbi who gave birth to ten daughters.

It is a taboo to say 10 daughters and so they use 9 daughters instead. 9 of Mumbi’s daughters gave birth forming the 9 clans of this tribe while the tenth was barren. These people are farmers, traders, and well-known fighters. In fact, this community, through the Mau Mau, led the country into independence from the British rule. The first president of Kenya, Late President Jomo Kenyatta, third president, Hon. Mwai Kibaki and fourth president, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta comes from this community.

This great tribe has the most business-oriented people in Kenya, hardworking, focused, and calm. Mt. Kenya, which they call Kirinyaga is a mountain where Gikuyu used to face while praying, offering sacrifices, and performing rituals. To date, the community has elders who were chosen to perform rituals and pray for the community during wars, droughts, famine, and calamities for God to bless them. These elders also decide what kind of punishment or fine to give to wrongdoers. The Mugumo tree is also another symbolic tree in the community. No one is allowed to cut that tree as the community used it as a shrine for prayers. The video below shows how elders even perform rituals when the Mugumo tree falls to avoid curses and being hurt.

Elders performing rituals because Mugumo tree fell

There are so many interesting facts about this community. Once you visit their homes, before doing anything else, the visitor should be served with tea. The number of houses in the homestead signifies the number of wives. Many wives signified that the man was wealthy. The man had his own house which he built after his parents advised him. The rest were built once he got married. The wife’s house had two beds, one for her and the other for the girls. The young boys slept on the floor of their mother’s house with the goats. Maybe this is the reason why Kikuyu men start doing business so early and by 18 years, they are fully independent.

The man’s house was used by the father to give advice to the male children while women gave to the daughters as they spent the most time together. Having the father sleeping in his house was no joke. The wife had to pretend she was asleep, once the children were asleep, she would walk slowly towards the husband’s house then come back later in the night. Interesting, right?

Circumcision was done for both boys and girls at the same time only that it was carried out by a man for boys and a woman for girls. After circumcision, the men would move out of their parent’s house and build elsewhere. The firstborn male in the house was supposed to build his house near the gate to offer security to the family.

The Kikuyu community has the best Ruracios ever! Ruracios are engagement ceremonies. Before this ceremony, the groom, his father, and friends visit the bride’s home. This is to inform the bride’s parents of their intentions. This is followed by an arrangement of Ruracio which is a ceremony to negotiate the bride price. During this event, the two families meet to celebrate. The bride’s family prepares food for the groom’s family. The bride is to supposed to prepare porridge using ground millet. Grinding is done using two stones. This is to show how strong the wife-to-be is.

The women from the groom’s side and the bride’s side meet at the gate. This is when the bride’s side starts singing songs telling the groom’s side not to come in because they are late. The other side apologizes and gives them gifts to soften their hands. Words fail me, but that ceremony is the best!

The men now go in for negotiation and it is only after the negotiation is complete and agreed upon, that the bride is allowed to step in and food is served. On that day, the bride is as beautiful as a peacock. Ladies of her height and size are chosen and all of them dress in shukas. The groom is then asked to pick his wife-to-be. If the groom picks a different woman, he pays a fine. The introduction of families is done and the food is served! A lot of watermelon and soup.

This community has unique women. Have you ever seen hardworking, focused, strict, and uptight women? Go to Central, Kenya. Some men are shy and are told by their women to kneel down. If another woman comes in and asks why he is kneeling down, he gets pinched. I am tempted to laugh already. Anyway, these women are so independent. It is important to understand this so that when you marry from this community, you blend well and understand that they behave that way because they are powerful!

These people are very aggressive and almost all their towns are well developed. From Kiambu, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, and Mwea, all these are big towns. I admire this community and proud that we are all Kenyans. Moreover, they have the most beautiful women in the land. That’s it about the Kikuyu community. Check down below the Kikuyu dance and enjoy yourself.

The Kikuyu Traditional dance

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Mercy at Kereita Forest.

The day began well. Our journey to The Forest begun at nine o’clock. We were all excited about the tree planting event. We travelled through the city centre and into the diaspora where the cold was chilly, the way all foggy and the place full of trees. We could only see just few steps, the visibility was vague. The tree planting exercise begun just a few minutes after we arrived and took a sumptuous breakfast with relish. We walked down in groups; Pine, Eucalyptus, Cedar and other groups. The activity was fun because we got to know new people, danced to the beat and also played. Climbing the hilly places was an uphill task but because we were many, we managed successfully. Planting the tress was so fun since some were energetic enough to sing as we worked, this gave us the moral to work harder. After some time, we had to adjourn the exercise and head back to the tent where we ate a tasty meal and took del monte juice. Unfortunately, everything that has a beginning has an end; Indeed it was time to go back home. Having made new friends, planting trees and had fun, I was reluctant a bit but I went anyway. Had a fun day!

Mercy at Kitale

My journey begun at 11 am. Trust me, I had waited for this day with great zeal. First, because I had never been to the Great North Rift Valley side of Kenya. I had heard stories about how great the place was and also that it was the food basket of the nation.

Lets dive in to the story. The safari was interesting, we passed through several towns including Kikuyu, Mai Mahiu, Salgaa, Nakuru, Naivasha, Burnt forest, Eldoret and finally Kitale. We had the first stop at Nakuru after two hours of travel. We had a delicious meal and then embarked on our journey. We passed through highlands, plains and valleys.

The view was breath-taking. Surely, our creator is a designer. We arrived in Eldoret at 7 am and boarded another bus to Kitale town. By 8:30am, we were at Kitale. First thing I noticed were the numerous motorbikes on the road. In Kenya, the bodaboda industry is growing rapidly and soon, it shall be a basic requirement for citizens. Anyway, we had our first meal at Kitale- chicken and ugali.

My stay was enjoyable, the people were very hospitable and the lands were beautiful. Plan to visit Kitale if you have not.

Abaluhya Community

The Abaluhya comunity of Kenya is one of the largest of all. The community is Bantu, living in the Western part of Kenya. With time, the community members have moved to other cities in such for jobs and education and therefore, you can be sure to find Luhyas anywhere.

This community is known for their love for food. It may seem like a joke to you but this community, dear readers, takes food seriously. In fact, eating is sacred as it connects the living and dead. It is believed that one is connected to the spirit world through the umbilical cord, which is food. It goes without saying that the women of this community are good cooks and they know which meal is good for the family.

It is believed that a meal is not complete without ugali, made of sorghum, millet, cassava and maize. The community enjoy Kienyeji vegetables that include kunde, cowpeas, nderema, terere, pumpkin leaves, murenda and saga. There is a special kind of filtrate that is called Umunyu which comes from ashes burnt from beans pods, dry maize cobs and sorghum husks and is used to soften these vegetables while cooking.

The Luhya community has 19 sub-tribes including Bukusu, Idakho, Isukha, Wanga, Tsotso, Marama among others. The community believes that children are a blessing and a family with many children is highly blessed. The Western Province is densely populated. Just like most African Communities, the Abaluhya community believe in a supreme being called Were/ Nyasaye who created the Heavens and then the earth. It is believed that the earth had three types of soils which are Black soil representing black people, White soil for white people and red soil for brown people.

Nabongo Wanga was the king that led the Abaluhya community during the ancient times. During his reign, the community was most organized as compared to the others. After the king’s reign, he passed down the mantle to the son. However, this position was not just hereditary but it involved earning the position through completing some tasks. The new king was to kill a bull and bring the bull so that it could lie next to the body of the deceased king as a sign of honor. In the event where the bull runs away, it symbolized that the ancestors had not chosen the aspiring king. Moreover, if the king had twins, then another person would be chosen because twins is an automatic disqualification.

Moving on to their culture, this community has a welcoming culture. The people are warm and generous. Most of their homes have plenty of food and you will most likely get a cup of tea if you visit. In the evenings, the men would gather to take a special brew called Busaa made of sorghum and millet. This drink was given in the evening after work and during times when members needed to communicate smoothly. Dancing and music is done seriously during their ceremonies. The use of a drum called Isikuti is common during events.

Isikuti dance

Giving birth was mostly done at home and the umbilical cord and placenta were hidden behind the hut to prevent bad omen from witches. However, this custom has reduced because most women now give birth in hospitals.

Circumcision ceremony is done as a rite of passage and there after, a big celebration is held. Uncircumcised boys were not allowed to marry or join other adult activities.

Luhya circumcision ceremony

Marriage was an important event which the parents from the boy’s and girl’s side met and agreed. Arrangements were then done for dowry payment and the two became man and wife. Times have now changed and the couples choose their own partners. One unique tradition is that the man was not allowed to shake the mother-in-law’s hands.

Finally, burial ceremony is done by both the bereaved family and entire community. It is an open event where animals are slaughtered, food and drinks are brought to feed the mourners. They also had a lot of dance and music during this time. Generally, the people are very friendly, composed, they believe in themselves and are warm.

The Abagusii Community

Have you seen industrious people? Have you heard stories of witchcraft before? Have you laughed loud before? If you would like to have an adventurous life, full of laughter and meaning, find a Kisii friend. Trust me, you will not go wrong.

Kisii man ordering a pizza.

I have not interacted so much with these people but the few I have come across are either on the extreme side or just normal. One thing that stands out is how they have very high-pitched voices. If you stand at their bus stations for thirty minutes or board a matatu with a Kisii conductor in it you may wonder or stand amazed at these amazing people.

I appreciate God for creating us differently. I am amazed by how different each tribe of Kenya is and yet somehow, we get along. Isn’t life worth living in Kenya? Let us dive in!

Kisii community lives in the Nyanza region, South-West part of Kenya. These people occupy Kisii and Nyamira counties. It takes 6 hours to arrive at Kisii from Nairobi. It is called the land of Musungu which means a White man because it is believed that white men lived in that fertile land and taught the community how and what to farm. Kisii and Nyamira counties are densely populated and have one of the most fertile lands in the world. The people have invested in education and in fact, many Kisii people are international students in other countries. Their land was heavily forested but due to demand for agriculture, increased population, and industrialization, trees were felled to create space.

The Kisiis are very hardworking and economically active people. They produce coffee, tea, maize, bananas, groundnuts, and beans. It is a green and fertile land, I hear them saying that that place is the Canaan, the promised land.

The birth of a child in this community was done under a tree. The child was named after events such as; If the baby was born close to a banana tree- Matoke, on the road- Nyanchera, etc. The naming of a child was only done by the father. Additionally, names would not be chosen from the mother’s side. It is believed that naming a child after a dead relative would help with the continuity of the dead.

Both men and women were initiated back then when they were between 8-10 years old. During circumcision, the initiates would be taken to a thick forest where they were taught hot to become men. For men, after this passage, they were no longer allowed to get into their mother’s bedrooms. After some time, the young men would be released from the forest and allowed to roam around the village. During this period, all females including girls were not supposed to look at them. If on your way, you come across such a group, the best thing to do is to run away because they would easily beat you up thoroughly. It is believed that if the female gender looked at the men when they were still healing, they would bleed to death.

Marriage was an arranged one where the man’s family would identify a good family and choose for their son the woman to marry. When looking for a family, they would look at diseases, the practice of witchcraft, and religion. Talking of religion, Most of Kisii people go to the famous Seventh Day Adventist church. Finding out the family would require the man’s family to send a spy to the woman’s village on their behalf. During the negotiation, first thing first- it was a matter of reaching an agreement then eating later or not reaching an agreement and going back home with an empty stomach. Dear reader, kindly, before going for negotiation, ensure you are on the safe side by eating well at home!

There were rules on how the in-laws would behave. This is where the man was not allowed to go to his father’s house and vice versa. Their houses accommodated all these traditions because they had two doors. One door was meant for the in-laws and other special guests to enter and seat only in designated places.

Death was never celebrated. However, things have changed these days. The deceased should sleep at his or her house. The mourning period is for two weeks. The funny thing is that during mourning, the people would wear their clothes inside out!

Women were expected to be respectful towards the husband and other men. If a man came into her house, she would have to leave all the things she was doing to greet them first. This was a sign of respect. Elders in the community are used to solve disputes. These men were highly respected a special brew would be served to them as they solved the case. Serving would be done to be an elderly woman who had finished giving birth. The woman would carry the pot with the brew and slowly kneel a place at the center where the elders sat. kneeling showed respect. If she failed to kneel, she would have to go back to their home and bring a goat as an apology.

Kisii and Meru community have so much in common including the language and traditions. Just mentioning, they also did blood harvesting during specific occasions. Blood harvesting was where blood would be acquired from a cow that is alive for usage. This procedure was done by only skilled people. This harvesting was not done to dairy cows as it is believed that these cows are the pillars of generations and killing would mean the extinction of an entire generation.

There are so many interesting facts about the Kisii tribe of Kenya. Plan to visit the green, highlands, and beautiful Nyanza province to see the beautiful sceneries and share with the people. Watch the dance video and enjoy!

Kisii dance

The Kamba Community.

Kamba community is close to my heart. Believe me when I say, I would gladly live with these people for the longest time possible. I studied at South Eastern Kenya University and I enjoyed my stay at Ukambani. These people are genuine, hardworking, peaceful and mature. Lets now look at some of their cultural practices and beliefs.

Kamba akala shoes and a warrior

Kamba people live in a dry region of Kenya. Most of them live in Machakos, Makueni, Kitui and the Coastal region of Kenya. Have you ever wondered why the Kambas live in very dry areas with the hot scorching sun and yet most of them are light-skinned? Yes, I usually wonder too. The Kamba community have very handsome gentlemen and beautiful ladies. In High school, I remember well that my beautiful English teacher, who articulated her words so well, was from Ukambani.

Kamba community are Bantus who were closely related to the Kikuyus, Merus and Embu people. They were long-distance traders in the pre-colonial period and together with the Swahili and Mijikenda traded ivory, slaves, beads, honey, skin cloth with iron hoes, cotton cloth, brass wires from the Arabs. Later on, they practiced agriculture where they grew sorghum, millet and maize. They also did wood carvings and ornaments. Kamba people were good hunters because they had arrow working and poison-making skills.

The women of this community are very hardworking. The first time I saw Kamba women helping with construction of a building I got anxious a bit. However, I later came to learn that it is normal. These people love “mothokoi”. This is a combination of maize and beans. Usually, the best way to cook this meal is to boil but ensure that t does not overcook. They love to feel the crunchy effect. One day, as I was carrying out my usual business of selling “githeri”, one Kamba lady came and advised me that the best githeri is one that the maize and beans are hard, not overcooked.

Moving on to wedding. A man would bring his lady at night. The sons, being close to their mothers, would tell her that he had brought a lady home. The mother would pass the information to the father. Early the next day, the father would go the lady’s home and say, “The goat that you have not seen is in my home.” This is just to inform them that their daughter is in their home. Negotiations would be done. The two families agree upon a dowry payment that the suitor’s family could afford. The first dowry, consisting of three goats, is a must. Failure to this, if the woman dies, she gets buried at her home and not the man’s family. Before wedding, token is given to the mother-in-law including bananas, bedsheets, sugar and a special belt for the mother who gave birth to the bride.

In the African community, women are allowed to marry women. This community is not exceptional. In a case where Musyoka marries Mwende, and they find out that Mwende is barren, Mwende is allowed to find a woman, say Kanini, who will help her family line continue. Kanini calls Musyoka her dad and therefore, not allowed to have any sexual relation. Kanini is now allowed to go out, find a man from outside so that she can bare a child who will continue Mwende’s family.

Kamba people are loyal and peaceful unless they are incited. If you ever steal from them, they have an oath. When a person steals, and fails to confess, they start experiencing mysterious deaths in the family. The oath varies, some are for weeks, months or years. Grandmothers took their time to mentor the girls and show them the way to take are of their husbands. This is why most Kamba women are good in bed and generally good wives.

In Kamba community, it is believed that an unmarried woman cannot be buried if her son or daughter is not around. Also, if you have a goat you are selling, you should pluck its fur before taking it to the market to avoid chasing away wealth. Additionally, it is a taboo to chase away a bird that has formed a nest in the homestead as you will be chasing away wealth. They also believe that if you are going for an interview, and you need good luck, you need to come across a child of the same gender as your own. You will therefore, go back home and repeat the same process until you find the same gender.

It is a taboo to take your parent’s belongings after their death. The elder should divide their belongings instead and no child is supposed to complain. A married child cannot live in his parent’s house. Only, grandchildren can live there. Finally, once a woman gets married, she is not supposed to carry belongings from her parent’s home. If she disobeys, her husband gets punished.

That’s it about the beautiful Kamba community. Read through previous posts on the Ameru, Kalenjin and Aembu communities. Thank You so much for reading!

Watch the Kamba traditional dance and enjoy!

The Kalenjin community

Writing about my community brings me mixed emotions. A combination of excitement and anxiety as I may not know everything yet I feel joyful as I share about this community. This is the first nilote group since the start of our journey to knowing communities. Kalenjin community consists of so many sub-tribes including the Nandi, Keiyo, Tugen, Pokot, Marakwet, Terik and Ogiek. All these groups are having similar and different cultures and way of doing things.

Kalenjin people are spread out across the Rift Valley region of Kenya from Narok, Bomet, Kericho, Nakuru, Nandi, Eldoret, Uasin Gishu, Baringo and Marakwet counties. Over the years, however, they have migrated to other regions because of intermarriage or work. These people are an amazing lot. They value their land, their cattle, their children and their tea plantations. If you come across a group of men talking, they will either be talking about their cows or tea.

I can talk about this community the whole day, but I choose to just a summary. This community is known for having the best runners in the world! This reminds me of the days when I was in primary school. I used to run with all my heart and receiving the medals just fulfilled me. We are proud of all Kalenjins who go out to represent us and come back with gold, silver and bronze medals and a lot of money. There is a special drink that is called mursik. My friends and readers, this drink has all nutrients you need. It is a sour milk that has been fermented and a special stem is cut and dried, once dry, it gets burnt and the ashes is added to the white milk. Have you noticed how white Kalenjin teeth are? Ask no more!

The Kalenjin people are not good public speakers. Leave us alone, we do not know languages. However, they are very good Mathematicians! You will realize that most Kalenjin teachers are mostly Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Agriculture teachers. These people are very hardworking and very humble. If you come across a proud one, maybe one in hundreds. Most of them have very large farms and content with what they have. Compared with other communities, they love home, their comfort zone.

Marriage. Kalenjin men marry Kalenjin women and vice versa. They love their culture and purity. Nevertheless, they are embracing other tribes slowly by slowly. I hear that if you want a good woman who is humble, respectful and submissive, look for a Kalenjin one. I will talk about the men later. Once a man identifies a woman, he informs his father. The father, along with two other men, go to the woman’s parents and state their intentions with the woman. They have to make an appearance three times. This allows for procedures and negotiations to be complete and also, so that the families may see whether they are the right families to bond with.

Kalenjin traditional initiation ceremony

Kalenjin men are the best! It depends with how you see things. These men were raised up knowing that they are to be bread-winners. This is why it is difficult to find abandoning their women and children. The culture does not allow the woman to go with the children in case of a divorce because the children belong to the father. During initiation, they are taught well about culture and how to take care of the home. After this ceremony, the community comes to celebrate with the iniatiates. They are now men. If the father was called Kipchirchir, the new man will now be called Chirchir. The system is being followed till now. You need to visit Kalenjin land one day. These people are generous and friendly! My name is Chebet, and I am proud to be a Kalenjin.

Thank you so much for reading! Share, like and give a comment.

Aembu community

The people from Embu live in a highland region. Their main economic activity is farming and trading. This is a land of coffee, tea and many crops as it is fertile. These people are mostly secretive and do not like being called Kikuyus. It is believed that they used to be brothers with the Merus and Kikuyus but went their own separate ways. You would rather call an Embu Meru instead of Kikuyu. Then, just like the Merus, they are believed to be very serious and harsh people.

Their first ancestors were called Mwenedega and his wife called Nthara. They lived in Ronyenjes. Today the place is called Mwenedega hill. The Embu people eat cassava, munched potatoes, sweetpotatoes, githeri, mothokoi, mukimo, which is a combination of bananas, irish potatoes and peas. The Embu people plant mogoka, which is a stimulant which many people love.

Marriage in this community, just like most Bantus communities is done after a young man notices a young woman. After telling her his intentions, the man goes to the woman’s home with his friends or brothers. This is usually just an introduction to tell her parents about his intentions. Usually, the man can carry something like shopping or some money just to show her parents appreciation for taking care of the girl.

This is followed by preparation for Ruracio, which is a negotiation event. This event involves the families from both sides. There is usually a lot of singing once the man’s family come home. Once the man’s family is allowed to get in, the men from both sides have a sitting to decide how much dowry shall be paid. Food is only eaten after the negotiation is done and the family of the son accept to pay. The lady is then revealed to the people. The most interesting part of it all is when the ladies line up, covered in sheets or lesos so that the husband-to-be finds a hard time to choose his woman. If the man chooses the wrong woman, he pays a fine in form of a goat or some money!

After marriage, naming of children is usually done in a certain order. First born son is named after the man’s father while first born daughter is named after the man’s mother. The same is done for the second born son and daughter to their mother’s side.

Finally, in this community, seeing an owl in the compound is a bad sign and the owl should be chased away and its nest destroyed because an owl is a sign that someone in the family may die. That is it about the Embu, we look forward to visiting the rich land of Embu!

The Ameru Community.

I must admit, the journey to learning this community was not easy as I have very few Meru friends. It kept me wondering, where are the Merus? I went down to the history of the people ruled by Njuri Ncheke. Meru is about three hours from Nairobi county, I should visit this place as it is surely a landof milk and honey!

Meru is found along the North and Eastern slopes of Mount Kenya. I can only imagine how wonderful it feels to wake up at the site of Mount Kenya. This region is mostly warm and temperate. There are nine sub-tribes that include Igonji, Imenti, Tigania, Mitine, Igembe, Mwimbi, Muthambi, Chuka and Tharaka. The communit is well known for the miraa. This is not just Khat, but a precious gem for them. I hear that miraa can get you a woman!

The Meru community are Bantus, their main foods include mashed potatoes, mashed green peas, mashed bananas and cereals such as maize, soghurm and millet. They prepare fermented porridge too. They do farming of crops such as tea, coffee, maize, livestock and bee-keeping for a living. Tourism is an income earner for the community as they have Mt. Kenya National Park, Lewa Conservancy and Kora. Surely, this land is rich! They are even planning to start mining iron in Tharaka.

Meru’s political leaders are well-known. First, Kiraitu Murungi is a visionary leader while Peter Munya, is known to be the top-working ministers in the country. From the leaders, I understand that this community stands up for what is right. In Meru, we have the Njuri Ncheke shrine and Meru Museum which have a lot of history on the community.

I was amazed by their courting and marriage culture. At the age of 18, a lady would move out of her home and build her own hut. This community believes in building up a strong woman. If a man was interested in a lady, he would blow his nose as a sign and the lady would spot him. After this, she would see the man off and go back home to inform her mother about his intentions. The mother would inform the father about the same. In the ancient times, parents would insist on a circumcised lady. In case she was not circumcised, a date would be set and she would be circumcised infront of her peers and her husband-to-be. We thank God that those dark times ended, phew!

After marriage, if the woman disrespected the man, she would be sent back to her parents, and a goat was to be paid as a fine. I could write so much about this community because I respect and admire their culture. Knowing this community explains why they are hardworking, good leaders and very serious people. They use horns, bells, drums as musical instruments and enjoy their songs!

Covid-19 Lockdown

I must admit, it took me all this time to heal from the corona virus heartbreak after the lockdown came unexpectedy making us stay home all day and all night. This is like a nightmare. On the good side, I have been thinking about the many good things that the process has brought. First, families have had ample time together, people have turned to God and repented, others have found new ways of surviving without jobs and also, some of us have learnt new skills during this period.

Waking up every morning to an unknown program is one of the strangest and disturbing things. i went ahead to find out some of the skills that can be gained at home. To be honest, there are plenty of them, including, being positive. Did you know smiling, being optimistic, saving, changing a flat tyre and learning a new language are new skills you could learn?

This platform is usually a travelling space where I write down all about places and how amazing the journey was. However, lockdown wont stop me from writing. I will just change the direction from places to people. I am just trying to say that I will talk about people, their cultures, their behaviours and their activities as we earnestly wait for a breakthrough regarding the pandemic.

Be on the lookout for my next series of topics that will open up your minds and help you better understand people, why they do things and how to treat them in a way that makes them feel important and special. in my opinion, tribalism is still a problem that we are facing in Kenya. it is my desire to understand the root cause and therefore find effective ways in which we can deal with this menace.

Change begins with you and I. We are the change we wish to see!

Mercy at Bomet.

The Kalenjin Community of Kenya.

My name is Mercy Chebet. I come from this Kalenjin group of people in Kenya who reside along the Rift valley region. There are so many things I could talk about this community because I belong there and I have interacted with the people at a personal level. It is therefore, a great opportunity to write about these generous people who would not allow you to get out of their houses without at least having a cup of tea. There are so many sub-tribes of the Kalenjin community and each of them have their way of doing things and sometimes dialects differ.
Mercy Chebet

Kalenjins are highland nilotes that are believed to have originated from South Sudan. They used to live in huts and mad houses before evolving to timber and permanent houses. These people are very friendly and once they meet with their own in the streets, you could think they have known each other for years because of how they love each other, yet sometimes they could have just met right there. This community has almost the highest number of population in the country.

Orkoiyot arap Samoei was a great leader who led the Kalenjins to resist the British people. The second president of Kenya, Former President Daniel arap Moi ruled for 24 years and left a legacy. Our current deputy president, William arap Samoei is also representing the community well and so many developments have been established under his rule. Generally, Kalenjins are very brave, courageous and confident people. Leadership for them is in-built. Away from politics, they are great business people with great farms which has helped to build the towns they live in.

This community’s source of livelihood is mixed farming. Agriculture is Kenya’s backbone. Living in highland regions where there is reliable rainfall and volcanic fertile soils, this community is of great significance to the Kenya’s economy and food security because they plant and produce tea, maize, beans, potatoes, vegetables, and honey, milk and milk products. Any Kalenjin will tell you that a meal is incomplete without either tea or milk. Milk is part and parcel of every meal in this community.

There is a special kind of milk that this community produces that is called mursik. This is fermented milk that is kept in a calabash. Once the fermentation process is done, a specific tree is burnt to ashes and the black ash is collected and mixed with the milk to produce mursik. This is what makes this community unique. Kalenjins keep cattle for milk not only for household use but also for commercial purposes. Tea growing is a robust industry in the Kalenjin community. In every village there are bandas that act as collection points to transport the tea leaves to the factory.

This community is recognized worldwide because the greatest athletes come from this particular community. The likes of Kipchoge Keino, Wilson Kipsang, Sharon Cherop among others have represented our nation and won themselves medals. It is fascinating to see Kalenjins bringing mursik in calabashes to receive their children at the airport after a marathon. This symbolizes appreciation from family and community for the great victory. This community nurturers this talent from the time a young child shows signs that they love running.

Academically, these people are smart. Mathematics and Science is what most Kalenjins love doing. However, languages is a big problem here. It is so hilarious how our athletes do their best in the field but during interviews after the race, they just cannot express themselves well. The Kalenjins believe in men giving directions and women following orders. It is not a surprise to hear men referring to both their wives and children as children. The men believe in making decisions and therefore a woman that does not submit finds a very hard time living among these people. Young girls are taught to cook, take care of children and collect firewood while young men are taught how to hunt, bee-keeping and farming. No man was allowed to get near the kitchen because it was believed that kitchen is for women. This made the roles clearly defined.

If you are looking for submissive wives, go to Kalenjin community. Women are taught to submit to their husbands no matter how harsh or stubborn they are. These women are very strong and it is not a surprise to find them being beaten up by their husbands but still living with them. It is only the other day that they started realizing their rights and stopped treating their husbands like small gods. They are now empowered. Education in this community is highly encouraged and most schools in the Rift Valley region are the highest performing schools in the country.

Most Kalenjins have very large pieces of land which is mostly used for agriculture. Like any other community, land disputes happen and some have even led to brothers killing each other. Long ago, circumcision was done to both girls and boys. In recent years, however, there are very few such cases. Kalenjins have clans and each clan has an animal that represents it for example Kipsmaek clan which were believed that a person from that clan had the power to curse, bless or even control the weather. Their animal is the lion. These clans are very important because a man can never marry a lady from his clan because they are believed to have come from the same ancestors and therefore are related.

Kalenjins are very serious people in nature but once in while they can afford dances especially during initiation ceremonies, wedding ceremonies and gatherings such as family gatherings that they call toror. During such ceremonies, plenty of food is cooked and people just enjoy such. Another secret is that these people love their own. They have very few intermarriages and mostly prefer marriages between tribe mates.

Most Kalenjins are as hardworking as bees. They use oxen to plough their farms and they grow crops in so many acres of land. The Rift Valley has very steep grounds which means that driving cattle to and from the river requires so much energy. That is about the Kalenjin community.