Tugen people

Tugen may also refer to Tugen Hills in Kenya.

The Tugen are a sub tribe of the Kalenjin people alongside the Nandi, Kipsigis, Keiyo, Pokot, Marakwet, Sabaot, Ogiek, Lembus and Sengwer sub-tribes. They occupy Baringo County and some parts of Nakuru County in the former Rift Valley Province, Kenya. Daniel arap Moi, the second president of Kenya (1978–2002), was from the Tugen sub-tribe. The Tugen people speak the Tugen language. The Tugen population is estimated at 350,000.

The Lembus people are confused as being either Nandi or a sub tribe of Kalenjin; but has been dismissed with history discovered of the Lembus people. They are predominantly a group of People who originally lived in the forest called Somek, Murkaptuk, Kamaruso and Partially assimilated Ogiek.

History

Origins

The oral traditions of the Tugen indicate three areas of origin located north, west and east of the present Tugen homelands. The bulk of the population originated from the west, from a place known as Sumo which is located between Mount Elgon and Cherangany Hills. The northern and eastern migrations came from Suguta (Lake Turkana) and Koilegen (Mount Kenya) and brought with them non-Kalenjin speaking people from northern Kenya and the highlands to the East of the Rift Valley respectively[1][2].

Demographics

The Tugen are further subdivided into four subgroups or sections :

  • Arror live in the Highlands of Kabartonjo and the lowlands of Kerio Valley (Barwessa) and Lake Baringo of North Baringo District. They are perceived as the most advanced group in terms of education and wealth accumulation.
  • Samors who live in the wider Kabarnet in Central Baringo district. This is the group from which the second president of Kenya, Daniel Toroitich arap Moi comes.
  • Lembus who occupy the fertile and well drained farmlands of Koibatek District.
  • Endorois who come from the Marigat and Mogotio Districts. They are a marginalized community and are known to take great pride in their culture.

Culture

Religion

Traditionally, like other Kalenjin people, the Tugen prayed to a God called Asis (which means 'sun'.) There are also gods namely Chepapkoyo(god of harvest), Cheptengeryan (god of love). Most have converted to Christianity. Islam has flourished in the major towns and it was these towns that some Tugens convert into Islam and adopted Islamic names.

Age-sets

The Tugen social organisation centres on the age-set, or ibindo. There are seven age-sets (ibinwek) which are rotational, meaning at the end of one ageset new members of that generation are born. The order is roughly as given below.

Among the some Kalenjin peoples, an age-set called Maina exists. However, among the Tugen, this ageset is extinct. Legend has it that the members of this ibindo were wiped out by the Keiyo, their cousins in war. For fear of a recurrence, the community decided to retire the age-set.

Ibindo was given out at initiation and by simple arrangements, there ought to be one ibindo between a father and a son. For example, a korongoro cannot beget a kipkoimet. The Tugen don't consider a woman to have an ageset, hence she can marry any ageset except that in which her father belongs. The Tugen say "ma tinyei ibin korko" which means a woman has no ageset.

  1. Chumo
  2. Sawe
  3. Korongoro
  4. Kipkoimet
  5. Kaplelach
  6. Kipnyigei
  7. Nyongi

Age sub-set (siritie)

In each age-set, the initiates were bundled into siritie or what can be understood as a 'team'. There are three 'teams' or siritoik in an age-set (ibindo) namely:

  • Chongin
  • kapchepsuei
  • Barnot (literally youth)

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ Kandagor, D. R, The Economic Transformation of the Tugen of Kenya, University of Nairobi, p.15 online
  2. ↑ Kiptala, S. J, The Origins of the Tugen of Baringo County and their practice of Indigenous Education; A historical perspective, Kabarak University, online
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