| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 451,602[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Elgeyo Marakwet County andUasin Gishu | |
| Languages | |
| Keiyo | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity &African Traditional Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Kipsigis people,Tugen people,Marakwet people,Pokot people,Nandi people,Sebeii |
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TheElgeyo (also known asKeiyo) are an ethnic group who are part of the largerKalenjin ethnic group ofNilotic origin. They live nearEldoret, Kenya, in the highlands of the formerKeiyo District, now part of the largerElgeyo Marakwet County. The Elgeyo originally settled at the foothills of the Elgeyo escarpment, in the area between Kerio river to the east and the escarpment to the west. Due to drought and famine in the valley, the Keiyos climbed the escarpment and started to settle on the highland east ofUasin Gishu plateau. When the British came, the Keiyos were pushed to settle in clusters called reserves.
The Keiyos are avid long distance marathon runners and have produced elites such asEzekiel Kemboi,Vivian Cheruiyot.Kelvin Kiptum, the recent world record holder also comes from the tribe.
The Keiyo subsist mainly on grain, milk, blood, and meat provided by their cattle, sheep, and goats.
The names Keiyo and Elgeyo have been used interchangeably. The former name is disputed as a corruption of the latter, which was coined by the Uasin GishuMaasai, who were the neighbors of the Keiyo in the mid-19th century on the western side of the expansiveUasin Gishu plains.[2]
Like the rest of the Kalenjin, the Keiyo originated from a country in the north known as Emetab Burgei, which means the hot country. The people are said to have traveled southwards, passing throughMount Elgon or Tulwetab Kony in Kalenjin. TheSebeii settled around the slopes of the mountain while the others travelled on in search of better land. TheKeiyo andMarakwet settled in the present Uasin Gishu plateau,Kerio Valley, andCherangani Hills.[3] The arrival of the warring Uasin GishuMaasai in the present day Uasin Gishu plateau forced the Elgeyo to move away into the present dayKerio Valley during the expansion of the 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 work in major urban centers including Eldoret town, where they actively engage in businesses alongside the Marakwets, Nandis, and other non-Kalenjins.
Elgeiyo people speak aKalenjin/Kutiit language that falls under the Kipsigis - Nandi - Keiyo - Southern Tugen - Cherang'any' cluster.
The Keiyo dialect has four predominant subdialects. These are Irong, Mutei, Marichor and Metkei.
Territorially, the Elgeiyo People divided their land into 21 east-west stretches to control intermarriage and displacement of a clan by other clans and a system of totems was acquired. The land was divided so that each group had access to the banks ofKerio River and thus the totems ran perpendicular to the river. From the south to the north the clans are Metkei, Kapkwoni, Maoi, Tumeiyo, Kowochi, Mwen, Choop, Morop, Samich, Kapsiro, Kenenei Kipking'wo, Sego, Epke, Chang'ach, Rokocho, Mutei, Maam, Irong', Kaptany, and Kapchemutwa and Kiptani.[4] The land was sub-divided to members of the same clan marked by a series of stones referred to as Koiwek.
The Elgeiyo social organization centers on the age set, orebendo. There are eight age-sets (ebenwek) which are rotational, meaning after the end of one age set (after approximately 120 years), a new age set begins. Unlike the Nandi and the Tugen, who have only seven age sets (due to loss of an entire age set in battle), the Keiyo retained eight. The order is given below.Ebendo was given out during initiation. The age set system is organized in such a way that a father and a son cannot be of the same or sequential age sets. That is, there must be oneebendo between a father and a son. For example, a Kipkoimet cannot beget a Kaplelach. The Elgeiyo do not consider a woman to have an age set. Hence, she can marry any age set except that in which her father belongs. The age sets are:
A member of an age set for example kipyigei, identifies himself in Keiyo as "A'ii Kipyigei", meaning he is of Kipnyigei age-set. On the other hand, a married woman identifies herself using the age-set of her husband. For example, a woman married to a kipnyigei will identify herself as "Aabo Kipyigeii", meaning she is of a kipyigeei.
