Aror, a sub group of the larger Tugen community yesterday handed over their mantle of leadership from the older generation, Sawe to the younger Korongoro generation.

Though the oldest in the community are countable old men of the Chumo generation who could not attend the handing over that was conducted in Kaptum, Baringo North due to old age and that they had completed their task of handing it over to the present leader.

The same Chumo generation whom retired President Daniel Moi is among them have also been accused of being selfish, they took more than 40 years with the leadership stick in their hands without passing it to Sawe. They are also accused of not taking care of the original stick that had been passed for more than a century.

“The Chumo generations became so selfish with leadership; it took them 40 years to pass the mantle to sawe. They also lost the original leadership stick that was blessed by our former grandfathers” regretted Mr. Ezekiel Chebor.

The generation receiving leadership will be responsible for maintenance of law and order in the community. Setting new rules that govern the community shall also be their duty including deciding who in the community should vote for during general elections. Their word is seen as final and respect is always accorded to them.

“Since I was young, old men who were given the stick also known as ‘Korokto’ in Tugen could be accorded respect and their word was final, younger and older generations are supposed to respect them.” Affirmed Mr. Elijah Rotich, a member of the Kipkoimet generation which was there to witness the ceremony.

When and where circumcision and other ceremonies are to be performed is also the duty of chosen old men from the generation.

During the handing over ceremony, children and uncircumcised men could not be seen around, women who had come to witness were told to go away from the scene.

As soon as a vehicle carrying the old man who had been chosen to take care of the leadership stick arrived, the younger generation which was to be given the leadership came singing a song praising the generation for taking care of it until its successful hand over. The song is as old as when the first generation was formed more close to two centuries ago.

The affair was a three generation where as the Sawe generation passed the leadership to Korongoro, the Kipkoimet generation who among the three were the witness. Kipkoimet is the next generation to receive it from Sawe and Kaplelach generation who were only allowed to watch from a distance will be allowed to sit down and bear a witness.

The community has seven generations unlike other communities that has seven, they are Chumo, Sawe, Korongoro, Kipkoimet, Kaplelach, Kipnyigew and Nyongi who are currently the youngest and are still undergoing circumcision. The community’s Maina who would have been between kipnyigew and nyongi were wiped out during an ancient war between Tugen and Keiyo. The few who were left were absorbed to Kipnyigew while the younger were absorbed by the Nyongi generation. The same maina were also regarded unsuccessful in any raids and battles they fought.

Some phenomenon such as arrangements of the stars in the sky and certain signs believed to be read by special old men when a ceremonial cow or goat is slaughtered are the signs that the ceremony will be should be held.

The old men said that if there were barren women who had come, they could go back home fertile.

“It is unfortunate that there was no barren woman who attended the ceremony, she would not be denied and would go back home and bear children” Said Zephaniah Chepkong’a

Chepkong’a who reminisces such a situation back in 1954 when four barren women were became fertile after rituals were done when Nyongi of then were receiving the mantle from Kipnyigew.

Such rituals could be conducted and uncircumcised boys were the ones used to administer the rituals and must be proved that the boys had in their lifetime not gone close to a girl.

“I saw it performed and I was among the young boys to be used to conduct the ritual” says Mr. Chepkong’a. “All the four women went and got children”. He confirm