Cleansing ceremony opens new chapter for Sabaot community

Sabaot community members after presenting a memorandum to the National Dialogue Committee at the Bomas of Kenya on September 25, 2023.[File,  Standard]

Hundreds of members of the Sabaot community from across Kenya and neighbouring countries on Friday converged in Trans-Nzoia County for a special cleansing ceremony aimed at opening a new chapter after a century of disunity, tribal animosity and economic setbacks.

Elders representing the community’s 27 clans conducted a traditional cleansing ritual to dispel what they described as historical curses that had divided the community politically and economically and contributed to conflicts with neighbouring communities.

The ceremony began on Thursday at Marambachi, where each clan slaughtered a cow and a goat for the gathering. The clans also prepared traditional brew, a key ingredient in the ritual.

While the meat was consumed on Thursday, the brew remained untouched until Friday afternoon, when elders gave permission for it to be consumed.

An open field opposite Marambachi Comprehensive School was transformed into a cultural centre, with 27 traditional huts erected to represent the clans. Women remained inside the huts to monitor the traditional brew, while men roasted meat outside.

Each hut was marked with a totem representing its clan. The clans included Kapnyeka, represented by the buffalo; Kaptomatek, represented by the dog; Kaptayeek, represented by the lion; Kamangeek, represented by the colobus monkey; and Kamsareek, represented by the honey badger, among others.

The ceremony attracted members of the community living as far afield as Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi and Tanzania. It was marked by cultural diversity, traditional songs and prayers aimed at burying historical grievances.

According to community historian and leader Peter Chemaswet, the cleansing ceremony was linked to an incident involving Kaptayeek elders who sought permission from their laibon to raid Namalu in Uganda for cattle from the Karamoja community.