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Kipsigis Heritage and Origin of Clans

Author :  Bill Rutto and Kipng'etich Maritim

Product Details

Country
Kenya
Publisher
Spotlight Publishers (E.A.) Limited,Nairobi, Kenya
ISBN 9789966570192
Format PaperBack
Language English
Year of Publication 2016
Bib. Info xiv, 186p. Includes Index
Product Weight 288 gms.
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Product Description

According to the book, the Kipsigis people arrived in their present settlement in the south-rift region of Kenya after a long-drawn migration along the River Nile from Egypt. It details their cultural practices and war exploits throughout their migration and spread across the Rift Valley from their dispersal area in Mt Elgon in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Kipsigis is the largest subgroup of the larger Kalenjin speakers that also comprise the Nandi, Keiyo, Tugen, Marakwet, Pokot, Sengwer, Okiek, Terik and Sabaot, among others. Politically, the community was divided into four units, namely, Belgut, Sot, Bureti and Waldai with their governance structure comprising religious, civil and military segments. The Kipsigis had a formidable military force that helped them navigate their way through hostile environment during migration. The military was split into four major regiments each with a specified role to play during war. Their social structure stemmed from the family unit headed by a father and dovetailed into a well-defined clan system. The community has 77 clans that the book lists with a brief description of their origins, totems and military specialty. In narrating the community’s first encounter with Europeans, the authors dispute long-held position that the name Lumbwa of the present day Kipkelion area in Kericho County originates from a peace making ritual between the Europeans and the natives. According to legend, the oath involved the sacrifice of two puppies (mbwa) with the place being later mispronounced as Lumbwa. The authors, however, claim this nomenclature is not corroborated by earlier historians and could be misleading. They attribute the name to a Maasai characterisation of the Kipsigis and Nandi inhabitants. The latter communities had adopted agriculture to supplement their pastoralist lifestyles and were (derogatorily) named Il-lumbwa by the Maasai meaning people who have “deviated” from the ‘pure’ pastoralist way of life to an agricultural one. The book is a record of the Kipsigis culture ranging from the community’s traditional artifacts to proverbs, riddles and chants. It also features the contemporary issues surrounding the community and identifies some of its prominent political and cultural leaders during and after the colonial era. They include politician and scholar Dr Taaita Toweet who also became Cabinet minister in the Kenyatta and Moi governments. This is a book, not just for Kalenjin speakers. Scholars of such varied fields as anthropology, commerce and conflict resolution will find it useful.

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