Settlement of Nandi

The Settlement of Nandi was the historical process by which the various communities that today make up the Nandi people of Kenya settled in Nandi County. It is captured in the folklore of the Nandi as a distinct process composed of a series of inward migrations by members from various Kalenjin ortinwek.

Origins

Main Article: Kalenjin History

According to the Kalenjin narrative of origin, the Nandi section was formed from the separation of what had been a combined group of Kipsigis and Nandi. They had been living at Rongai near Nakuru as a united group for sometime before they were forced to separate due to antagonistic environmental factors, notably droughts and invasion of the Maasai from Uasin Gishu.[1] The Kipsigis moved southwards, settling around Kericho while the Nandi continued west and settled at Aldai.[2]

Ortinwek Origins

The Nandi account of the formation of the tribe however displays a more complex pattern of settlement. The Kalenjin ortinwek that moved into and occupied the Nandi area, thus becoming the Nandi tribe, came;

Kipoiis
Kipamwi
Kipkenda
Kipiegen
Tungo
Kipaa
Kipasiso and Kapchemuri (Chemuri)
Elgoni (Kony)
  • From Elgon
Kipkokos
  • From Elgon & Elgeyo
Kipsirgio
Moi
Sokom
Kiptopkei
Kamwaikei
Kipkoiitim (also partly from Elgon)
Talai, the medicine men's clan (partly also from Kamasya)
Toyoi[3]

Settlement at Aldai

The traditional Nandi account is that the first settlers in their country came from Elgon during the time of the Maina and formed the Kipoiis clan; a name that possibly means 'the spirits'. They were led by a man named Kakipoch, founder of the Nandi section of the Kalenjin and are said to have settled in the emet (county) of Aldai in south-western Nandi. One of the earliest Bororiet was named after Kakipoch and the site of his grave, still shown on Chepilat hill in Aldai was marked by the stump of an ancient olive tree. The account of his burial is that his body was laid on ox-hide, together with his possessions, and left for the hyenas.

Retreat from Elgon

A Karamojong informant noted in 1916 that Nandi occupied territory previously stretched as far north as the sources of the Nzoia River i.e. Mt. Elgon, a territory that had been occupied by the Nandi as lately as the time of the grandfathers of that generation (i.e early to mid-19th century).

The Karamojong raided the northern Nandi sections twice before the Nandi launched a big raid against them at Choo hill near the junction of Kanyangareng & Turkwel rivers. The Masinko clan of Karamojong who were pasturing here counterattacked and successfully drove of the Nandi raiders.

In response to the Nandi raid, the Karimojong organized a powerful force to break up the Nandi nearest the Turkwel-Nzoia watershed but the expedition returned and reported that the Nandi had withdrawn too far south. The Karamojong were unmolested by the Nandi from that time and the Turkwel-Nzoia watershed became a no-mans land.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Chesaina, C. Oral Literature of the Kalenjin. Heinmann Kenya Ltd, 1991, p. 1
  2. ↑ Chesaina, C. Oral Literature of the Kalenjin. Heinmann Kenya Ltd, 1991, p. 30
  3. ↑ https://archive.org/stream/cbarchive_102057_remarksuponthehistoryofthenand1927/No._28_3_1927_Huntingford_djvu.txt
  4. ↑ Turpin, C., The occupation of the Turkwel river area by the Karamojong tribe, The Uganda Journal, 1916 [online]
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