The plight of the Mt. Elgon Ndorobo

By Isabella Maua

Maasai Elgon popularly  known as Sabaots who vastly  occupy the larger part of Mt. Elgon and Trans Nzoia in Bungoma and Trans Nzoia county respectively.

The Sabaots have: Bong’omeek, Bok, Koony, Sabiny and Mosop.

Though many of the sub- tribes have with time been either assimilated or fully absorbed to other  tribes and forgotten their origin, the Sabaots are largely categorized as Kalenjins.

There is however, one sub tribe that has since remained free of any assimilation neither by interactions nor intermarriages.

This community stands out among the rest; The Ndorobo/Dorobo as are commonly known reside in the highest part of Mt. Elgon forest mainly in the moorland area of Chepkitale,Chepyuk and Mosop.

Ndorobo is  derogatory umbrella term for several unrelated hunter – gatherer groups of Kenya and Tanzania comprising of client groups of Maasai community but didn’t practise cattle pastrolism.

They’re descendants of the ancient San people who originally settled in Rift Valley around 1000 AD and are hunters and gatherers.

Dorobo is a Maasai word Il-torobo meaning the ones without cattle .In Kenya, they are known as Okiek-pioneering group of Kalenjins who first moved to the Rift valley from the North. Some have however, with time inevitably been assimilated into neighbouring tribes.

RELIGION AND BELEIFS

The Ndorobo practice animism: This is the  attribution of living souls to plants, inanimate objects & natural phenomenon; in other words it’s belief that all natural phenomena including human beings, animals, plants, rocks, lakes, mountains and even weather share one vital quality which is the soul spirit that energizes them.

Taking a walk along  Mt.Elgon, one notices the difference of nature & environment  once you approach the “peak of the mountain” the higher you go the cooler it becomes -you cannot miss the beautiful grazing cattle, sheep and goats which will be heading inside the bushes and bamboo plantations by themselves.

Natural forest and elephant dung is an inevitable sight not forgetting  one or two antelopes hoping here and there as if competing with hares who sneak into the bush when an uninvited guest approaches.

The environment here remains cold whether the sun shines or otherwise hence the unique dressing code of its occupants; who are normally armed in full combat of “cap/marvin, heavy jacket, long trousers gumboots literally 24/7.

A keen look at the trees clearly  shows that none has been fell; in a few instances you’ll come across a twig or two which would have broken  on their own mostly  due to old age.

In the Ndorobo culture, which they have since upheld, they are never allowed to cut down tress or burn coal because doing so is believed to inflict pain on the soul of the trees making them cry/scream just like humans do which is an abomination.

 Neglected nation?

As much as a tour around the area catches the eye, its disheartening that any developmental projects remain unheard of or rather mysterious to the residents.

Pathetic state of narrow paths that are used as roads, lack of clean water for animal and human consumption with no modern hospitals perfectly describe the pitiful state of the Ndorobo’s habitat.

Communication technology  as much as is key to modern humanity, is one of greatest barrier in this land. Lack of network provision from any communication service provider in the country has rendered this area an out of coverage zone.

Purity Chelasha, a resident of Mosop decries the ‘silence’ she has had to experience while her husband travels to fend for them.

“I am sure you haven’t had any communication with the outside world since you arrived here; you can now imagine the loneliness and anxiety we go through as a family when my husband goes out either looking after the cattle deep inside the forest or in the other side of the mountain to get a pass time job,” Chelasha lamented.

Boarding schools have also been unheard of despite the fact that it is more of a necessity than a privilege- given the pastoralistic nature of the area residents.

Joseph Kiptonon, a resident of Laboot explains the tough journey his neighbour’s daughter had to go through later giving up on education and falling victim of early pregnancy.

“One time in this neighbourhood a sad story of Jane was written; she was on her way from school late in the evening and was ambushed by two stranger passers by who were never unmasked to date, despite pursuing the case nothing happened, she’s now nursing a one year old and was forced to cut short her studies,”Kiptonon narrated.

Lack of hospitals and a structured administration has been one of the most neglected areas which need be addressed soonest possible so as to give the Mt.Elgon Ndorobo a sense of belonging hence building a more harmonious co-existence with the neighbouring sub -tribes.

As much as most Ndorobos  may feel out rightly forgotten, there’s still a hopeful generation which looks up to the newly elected leadership to embrace them and aid in their development.

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