Mtu Kuzi

What’s your origin? 😂😂 You don’t know. I bet you only know the dispersal point, the creation accounts as per your religion and also the scientific view about the origin of human kind. Here I am going to describe the movement of Kaleniin people to where they are now. Kaleniin are among the Highlands nilotes in Kenya. They occupy most parts of the rift valley. After God created the first human beings the generation grew until the time of Jesus to when he was taken up to heaven. From then human beings grew greatly and widely.

All people left Egypt and one group was Kaleniin. When they left Egypt, they were led by a person named Miot. They were guided by river Nile, following it’s banks to Africa. They came to a place where lake Victoria joins to form river Nile. Miot had five sons and one daughter. They found their way to Mt. Elgon through lake Albert and Kyoga. On their way they left some of their people who are now speaking other languages.

They settled at Mt. Elgon for sometime but the first thing they did was to circumcise the first boys because they were now old as they had travelled for a long distance and took a very long time. The exercise was performed by Miot himself. Among the initiates was Miots’ eldest son Sabaot who later was left at Mt. Elgon to continue with the clan.

It was at this time that a certain Maasai named Solacha/Sulacha came. He asked Miot for his hand to allow him marry his daughter(Miots’ firstborn child and only daughter). In appreciation of this Solacha gave Miot a cow and calf together with a very well curved calabash. He instructed Miot that the calabash should be used by him and his wife when drinking milk while the children were to use tree leaves.

Among the sons of Miot were Sabaot, Nondin(Nandi), Kipsigisin, Keiyo and Tugen. Miot, his son’s and other people stayed in Mt. Elgon for a long time before they journeyed for greener pastures. They left Sabaot with a few people and a cow. Sabaot formed the first tribe.

Miot with his son’s and other people started a journey to a first destination Called Katani lel (Kitale) as there were white Acacia trees grew. They later moved to Lel Teret(Eldoret) it is named the same as they made white jerrycans/Pots. They also moved to Tim-borowa (Timboroa) named after certain climbing plans which can be used to tie together branches when building. From this point they journeyed to Tulwap Kipsigis( The Kipsigis mountain/Hill).

While at Tulwap Kipsigis a group of old boys were circumcised and secluded to recover. From a distance they saw a smoke from afar and they thought of Maasai, they went and raided livestock. The Maasai came after them, when they heard this the Miot and his people fled leaving the initiates behind. Unfortunately they were all killed by the Maasai when they came back. The mountains was therefore named Tulwap lagoi(The hill/mountain of children/boys) or Tulwap Ngetik( The hill/mountain of uncircumcised boys). Miot and his people stayed there for almost 90years naming all the kalenjin clans. The first clan was Maina, Chumo,Sawe,Korongoro, kaplelach,kipnyige and Nyongi. At This point the second son Nondin(Nandi) decided to look for greener pastures. He went to Tinderet with a few people and livestock as it was the custom. Kipsigis went to Chepsir. At Chepsir they planted millet after fire consumed everything, there was a bountiful harvest in which there was nothing to keep them, they made Kisiet and therefore the name Kipsigis came into life. Keiyo moved to parts of Timboroa. Tugen was the last and the youngest Miots’ son to move.

It is said that while they were on the way Tugen was enticed by Keiyo and broke the calabash that had been given to Miot by Sulacha. Miot therefore muttered a curse that Tugen will forever live in warm and dry areas and Keiyo in the valleys.

As you all know people of the same language can separate and therefore their language changes. This happened to Kaleniin also but it is wise to say that their culture remains the same and they are one people. Another question to answer is that the Marakwet and pokot people came were born from Keiyo. Ogiek were born from Kipsigis. Tulwap Kipsigis (the Hill/ mountain of Kipsigis) are two the highest one which belonged to men and elders and the smaller ones was that of women and Children.

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