Laboot: Where the Ogiek seek divine counsel from their gods

"Where Laboot stands is the exact point our ancestors used to gather under a canopy of trees (Kamotuui) to share notes on our cultural developments and play judge to our people. Today we have replaced the trees with huts and a mega hall made of wooden walls where our children visit to learn about their heritage and life in general," says Cosmus Murunga, the Ogiek Council of Elders chair.

"It's particularly fantastic to receive our kin who travel the world because of education and those born out of our native forest habitat returning home to identify with their 32 sub-clan among our tribe."

The centre has 32 grass-thatched houses to signify the Ogiek sub-tribes with each clam bearing a totem and a clan head to initiate the new generation of his clan to the Ogiek traditions.

The Kiptieromu clan's totem for example was the lion (Ngetuindo) while for the Kimeito's was the elephant.

"We even have clans whose totem is the leopard, hyena, and all the major wildlife that lives in Mount Elgon and Mau forests. No Ogiek will allow you to kill an animal that represents them, this partly explains why we don't eat wild meat," says Murunga. "Eating the meat of an elephant is as good as despising the Kimeito your fellow kinsman. It's an abomination."

The average Ogiek member according to Murunga is taken through the history and taboos of the tribe which originated from the highlands north of Lake Turkana at least 1,000 years ago.

Cherotwei Simotwo (Col Rtd) at Mt Elgon forest in Chepkitale, Bungoma County. [Mumo Munuve, Standard]

"The Ogiek love to meet at the hotel and speak in our native language which ensures its continuity of our heritage at large," says Simotwo.

The tribe also has a radio station that broadcasts in Ogiek language (Tulwoob Koony FM) and covers Chepkitale, Kapsokwony, and environs that are largely occupied by the Ogiek.

This is also a strategy to help build and reserve their language that has been at the centre of mutilation and extinction.

Of the about 18,000 Ogieks in the country, there are about 3,000 Ogieks around Mount Elgon who form the sub-tribes of ohmomo, chepkuy, rimrim, somoinen, ntatwa, muchungu, korongoro, kwaimet, kaplelach, nyonngi, and sawe.

Having survived evictions from their land since the colonial days, the Laboot has lately become a nerve centre for celebrating landmark victories the community has had in reclaiming back their land from the government.