Tugen
Encyclopedia
Tugen may also refer to Tugen Hills
in Kenya
The Tugen are a branch of the Kalenjin community and they occupy the districts of Baringo
and Koibatek in Rift Valley, Kenya
. Daniel arap Moi
, the second president of Kenya (1978–2002) was from the Tugen branch. The Tugen people speak the Tugen language
.
The Tugen are cattle keepers and the cow occupies a central part in their cultural lives, as food (meat and milk), currency, as dowry. Among the Kalenjin community they are known as resilient since they live in harsh climatic conditions.
The Tugen are further subdivided into:
Traditionally, like other Kalenjin, the Tugen prayed to a God called Asis (which means 'sun'.) 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-set (Ibindo)
The Tugen social organisation centres around 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.
Chumo
Sawe
Korongoro
Kipkoimet
Kaplelach
Kipnyigei
Nyongi
[edit] 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
Daniel arap Moi,
Hosea Kiplagat,
Aaron Tuikong,
Professor Joseph Tuitoek,
Paul Tergat.
Tugen Hills
The Tugen Hills are series of hills in Baringo District, Kenya.The Tugen Hills represent one of the few areas in Africa preserving a succession of deposits from the period of between 14 and 4 million years ago, making them an important location for the study of human evolution...
in Kenya
The Tugen are a branch of the Kalenjin community and they occupy the districts of Baringo
Baringo District
Baringo District is an administrative district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Kabarnet. The district has a population of 264,978 and an area of 8,646 km² ....
and Koibatek in Rift Valley, 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...
. Daniel arap Moi
Daniel arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002.Daniel arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'...
, the second president of Kenya (1978–2002) was from the Tugen branch. The Tugen people speak the Tugen language
Tugen language
Tugen is the language spoken by the about 200 000 Tugen people of the broader Kalenjin group in Kenya. As a part of the Kalenjin dialect cluster, it is most closely related to such varieties as Kipsigis and Nandi....
.
The Tugen are cattle keepers and the cow occupies a central part in their cultural lives, as food (meat and milk), currency, as dowry. Among the Kalenjin community they are known as resilient since they live in harsh climatic conditions.
The Tugen are further subdivided into:
- Arror live in the Highlands of KabartonjoKabartonjoKabartonjo is the district headquarters of Baringo North District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya.Kabartonjo has a population of about 2,000. Its residents are mainly of the Arror dialect of the Tugen sub-tribe in the Kalenjin cluster. Kabartonjo was founded in the early 20th century by Scottish...
and the lowlands of Kerio Valley (Barwessa) and lake Baringo of North Baringo District - Samors who live in the wider KabarnetKabarnetKabarnet is a town in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. The town has an urban population of 9,583 and a total population of 24,661 - Geography :...
in Central Baringo district - Lembus who occupy the farmlands of Koibatek District
- Endorois who come from the lowlands of Koibatek District
Traditionally, like other Kalenjin, the Tugen prayed to a God called Asis (which means 'sun'.) 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.
External links
Age-set (Ibindo)
The Tugen social organisation centres around 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.
Chumo
Sawe
Korongoro
Kipkoimet
Kaplelach
Kipnyigei
Nyongi
[edit] 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
Daniel arap Moi,
Hosea Kiplagat,
Aaron Tuikong,
Professor Joseph Tuitoek,
Paul Tergat.