Elgeyo
Encyclopedia
The Elgeyo are an ethnic group that is part the larger Kalenjin ethnic group of nilotic
Nilotic
Nilotic people or Nilotes, in its contemporary usage, refers to some ethnic groups mainly in South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and northern Tanzania, who speak Nilotic languages, a large sub-group of the Nilo-Saharan languages...

 origin. They live near Eldoret
Eldoret
Eldoret is a town in western Kenya and the administrative centre of Uasin Gishu District of Rift Valley Province. Lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2100 metres above sea level at the airport to more than 2700 metres in nearby areas...

, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

 in the highlands of the Keiyo District
Keiyo District
Keiyo District is an administrative district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. The district was formed in 1994, when Elgeyo/Marakwet-District was split into two, the other half is Marakwet District of today. Keiyo District has a population of 143.865...

. The Elgeyo subsist mainly on grain; and the milk, blood and meat provided by their cattle, sheep and goats.
The Elgeyo moved away from the eastern grazing lands of the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...

 during the expansion of the Maasai tribe. The loss of much of their grazing lands forced them to reduce their herds and rely more on agriculture.

Due to population growth over time, the Keiyo community gradually moved and settled in urban areas to do business in major urban centers including Eldoret town where they are now actively engaged in businesses alongside the Marakwets, Nandis and other non-Kalenjins.

The name Keiyo or Elgeyo has been used interchangeably to describe the Keiyo people. The latter name being disputed as a corruption of the former true name, which resulted from the Uasin-Gishu
Uasin Gishu District
Uasin Gishu District is one of the seventy-one districts of Kenya, located in the Rift Valley Province. The city of Eldoret is its capital, administrative center and commercial center....

 Maasai who were the neighbours of the Keiyo in the mid 19th century at the western side of Eldoret, being a word coined by them.

The various communities among the Keiyo divided their land into 16-east-west stretches to prevent inbreeding and displacement of a community by other individuals and a system of totems were acquired.

The land was divided so that each group had a shore of Kerio River
Kerio River
Kerio is a river in Rift Valley province, Kenya. It flows northward into Lake Turkana. It is one of the longest rivers in Kenya, originating near the equator. In south it flows through the Kerio Valley between Tugen Hills and Elgeyo escarpment. The river also partly bounds the South Turkana...

and thus the totems ran perpendicular to the river. From the south to the north are Metkei, Kapkwoni, Maoi,Tumeiyo, Kowochi, Mwen, Sego, Chebior, Chang'ach, Rokocho, Mutei, Maam, Irong', Kaptany and Kapchemutwa. The land was sub-divided to members of the same clan marked by a series of stones referred to as Koiwek.
Age-set (Ibinda)

The Elgeiyo social organisation centres around the age-set, or ibinda. There are eight age-sets (ibinwek) which are rotational, meaning at the end of one ageset new members of that generation are born. The order is given below.Ibinda was given out at initiation .There ought to be one ibinda between a father and a son. For example, ana Kipkoimet cannot beget a Kaplelach. The Elgeiyo don't consider a woman to have an ageset, hence she can marry any ageset except that in which her father belongs.
Maina
Chumo
Sawe
Kipkoimet
Korongoro
Kaplelach
Kipnyigei
Nyongi
Notable people
Nicholas Biwott

External links

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