Sebei Nation

Sabaot people are great people. Long time ago they gave proper names to everything they discovered or invented. Today let's look at food stores. Kiteriit: This is a small store made of twigs and has a curved base. This is where you got the name granary. When making such a construction, it is first made over a T point with long easily twistable twigs and additional ones added as it expands. It can accommodate up to 3 sacks maize or other cereals. Chookeet: This is a large storage facility for storing grains. From 5 sacks to up to 50 bags of cereals can be accommodated by it. This kind of store is build by staking light long post to the ground then either intertwined with split bamboo or good twigs. It can be done up to 2m high but the base is overlaid with horizontal bars or posts from one wall to the other. To secure its strength, the overlaid posts protrude slightly beyond the walls. It is also supported by strategically positioned strong posts to support ...

In most cases you can't miss seeing these when visited a village.... Oyee Kokararan korenyo!

Two Communities in Kapchorwa,Government Lodge and Kisenyi decided to hold a drinking competition. A week to the competition,Government Lodge sent a delegate Chemutai, to Kisenyi to confirm if the competition will still hold. When Chemutai, the delegate got there, the people of Kisenyi brought 20 litres of their strongest Ajono (Local Gin) as the guest's drink. Chemutai asked; "Can I test it?" The people said;"Go ahead." The guy drank, finished the whole 20 litres and said; "This is okay, where is the main drink?" The People of Kisenyi got scared and shouted; "Come on, are you among the competitors?!!." Chemutai replied; "No, I did not qualify."😂😂 like & Share... www.sebeination.blogspot.com

Koot itiik In koreet we normally say "koot" to mean clean a water source especially a spring. Usually it entails removing mud and other debri to ensure clean water flow or enable a clean water collection. Mostly it could be where we draw or a watering point for animals. Although ears may not necessarily be muddy, we use the same phrase to mean to clean the ears of "sokuutek"(ear wax). "Weekoot itiik" This phrase has more meaning than the literal meaning we know. It is a stern warning not to repeat the same mistake! What other koreet phrasal verbs do you have?

Ankuryeet tree. In Sabaot community nation speaking, the pictured natural tree is ankuryeet. I don't know how Nandi, Kipsigis, Tugen , Keiyo , Marakwet, Sengwer and pokot call it. The ankuryeet tree has earned incomparable respect equivalent to iteet tree in Sabaot community native. One, iteet tree makes Chitaab kooret to upgrade friendliness and duly love teeta [cow] due to its impact to the fermented milk [mukuniik/mukuluuk.] Ankuryeet on the other hand, earned its respect due to its leaves used as traditional tissue paper. The softness and moist like characteristics of its leaves makes it preferably as a friendly traditional tissue paper.

Sabaot cuisine Originally our favorite food is kimnyeet (ugali) with either meat or cheeko especially mukunik (sour milk). Meat can be chicken, mutton or beef. This is the standard Sabaot cuisine. This is a complete balance diet and we had no trouble looking for fruits or those other "nonsense" foods. If one needed fruits there were plenty of wild berries : takamaamik, mintiliilak, siroonik/siryeek, komolik, tunguruurak and takurkurook. Yes you remember those fruits which when you ate you tongue turn navy blue like you galloped ink? Yes lemeyoonik that is. Do not forget mtangule. So we had mburik, our local fashion of carrots. I wonder if your generation knows these! There were different ways of preparing meat. Roasting was one way. As I can there's "wataneet" - roasted dry meat. To preserve such meat it was cut into a child's fist size tgen immersed deep in pure honey. Such meat could stay for a year or as long it need be. When served with such meat y...

Vocabulary of discipline Chus: to discipline little children with a thin light stick Chwat/ng'wat /ng'wet : to cane with slightly flexible stick. Notice that it is different from "ng'waat", to be submissive by raising both hands especially men. Normally a humiliating act. Pir : to whip or beat up. Moor -? Llap -? Tyool -? Rwat -?

Some of Cheptaab kooret names which am missing in Chitaab kooret girls naming. 1. Tamnai 2. Temko 3. Kapkarich 4. Teng'an 5. Chematui 6. Chebalyat. 7. Chemtinki. 8. Chelimo. 9. Koreny. 10. Cherirey/Cherirei Our mothers have abandoned these names like plaque. Just asking, do we still have a girl between 1- to-20 yrears who is named after the above listed lady's names? I doubt. Our mothers and ladies have reduced Cheptaab kooret names to only five; 1. Chebet. 2. Chepkwemoi. 3. Chemtai. 4. Chelang'at. 5. Cherotich. Meet ten girls [between 10-20]years and kindly request them to do some introduction. ....Chebet,,, Chemtai [Chemu],,,,, Chepkwemoi [Chepkwe],,,, Chelang'at [Chela] ,,,, Cherotich [Chero] are the only names you will hear. These must be their fashion names. Any community is respected and defined by its unique word-language, names and cultural practices?.. Our Sabaot community is on the run. Running from its uniqueness to casual. Kasebseebte kot ...

Soil types Hello chitaab koreet. Today I want to share the different types of soil. In koreet we have different names for each type of soil. Tutuweek is the general for all soil types especially the loose type. Usually when the wind blows over the soil, the finer soil is blown away in form of dust. Teng'eek is the farm soil. It also refers to the shamba in the larger context. When one buys a shamba, it is said "kaal Teng'eek" (he/she has bought land) . Ng'oonweet: This is the sand soil that is commonly used for building purposes. It is normally found in the low lands. Ng'oromuuk. This is the granular hardened soil that is the marrum. It normally has tough black little stones engulfed in red soil. It is best for construction purposes in forming the foundation of houses and roads. Some people erroneously call it "maramuut" or some Tesos who have been sabaotized call it "ng'aramuut". This is wrong it should be "ng'oromuuk...

Am tukuk (eat things)- It means drinking local alcohols or brews. Basyachkey/syachkey - this is to seriously search yourself to sincerely confirm if you have something hiding in your pocket[lol.] Buutkey/boorukey- is to give what you have/had to the last soul/coin. Butkey - destroy or misuse your portion. ichobkey - to be in readiness for something or activity. Iwiirukey- (fall down from a high point) - to arrive someplace.

Belyonteet - Elephant. In animals, we have belyontet. In the names of people, we have Belyo [Belio]- for men and Chebelyo [Chebelio] - for women. AND in trees we have mobyoo belyo. This must be unique name in Sabaot community identity. Another one is Masai. Found in people Arap Masai or boontet Masai. In our herds we have a black-tall bull by the name Masayii. AND in trees, we have masayanteet. Any other name which is found in three ecosystem families you know?

SOME CHITAAB KOORET FAMILIES WHICH PICKED THEIR EXISTENCE FROM HOW WE RELATE TO EACH OTHER and NOT FROM OUR NAMES. Kapkuuko Kapkooko Kapmaama Kapsaanke Kapchoorwenyu Kapkasaantanyu Kaplatyeet Kaplameet Kapkuboretyeenyu Kaptoowenyu Kabang'waay Kabiikoy Kab-asuuben Kapweriinyu/kap-oriinyu Kapchepnyuu ....................... The above and more picked their existence from relationships in our community. For instance, Kapkuuko [grandfather], who is the father to our fathers or mothers, 'grand' is our relationship. Now, the challenge is LAST BORN. Some will say KAPTOOWET/KAPTOOWENYU while others will say KAPMUTUUWET/ KAPMUTUUWENYU. Which term is acceptable in our soomburto?

iteet! A fine black substance obstructed from indigenous iteet tree. This term has no plurality or singularity because its small fine particles are non countable. So, it is just iteet. There is no term like itook in soomburtap Chitaab kooret. Katoryii iteet eweey. Kachuwut aut/awut.

We have these identities in Sabaot community nation. 1. Kuboretyeet 2. Toweet 3. Seremeek/seremiin 4. Kisoin/kisoyin. According to Chitaab kooret community, Kuboretyeet is the first born, toweet is the last born, seremeek are twins and Kisoyin is the child born after the twins[seremeek]. And that is very true. But now, let's turn onto another page. And my key concern is this child born after the twins. What if it happens [because God's blessings are unique and unpredictable] that; instead of a relationship being blessed with one child, they give birth to another set of twins [two or three]. How do we recognize them now? Are they going to be named Chesuro ak Chepkech as the elder twins or what names do we give them? February

Here are some identities which separate men from women and vice versa. For MEN. Kuuko - grandfather. Baaba - father Aboo/aboonyu- my father or father's brother (uncles.) Abaaiya- age mate to our father or uncles. Arapaa- blood brother. Oriinyu/oriit/orii - my son. Boontet- husband. Saantet- son in-law. For WOMEN. Kooko - grandmother. Moomo - mother. Sankee- aunty. Chepiyaa- my sister. Chepto- girl. Chepnyuu - my daughter chepnyoo -our girl/daughter chepii/che - you girl. COMMONERS. Bang'waay- Kabiikoy- our in-laws. Maama- uncle/our mother's brother Tubyeet- my sincere relative Ng'etabiiya - my brother Chebiiya - my sister Arap koorket/chootik - cousin Arap maama - uncle's son. Cheptaab maama -uncle's daughter. Oriitab sankee - aunt's son. Cheptaab sankee - aunt's daughter. Chitaab areet - clan-mate man/relative. Cheptaab areet - clan-mate woman/sister. N/B: Weriit/weriinyu/weriitab/werii is erroneously spelled.

Some skills, if induced somewhere, can do great things. Especially in the security sector. This man is serious with agriculture, but seems moles [buung'ung'ok] are the worst pests to his farm produce. That is why he is setting a traditional trap [mastiit] to catch them. Kabeetintet at his best.

Kasubayaak keseleng'uuni biikyo. Kaait kereeryanteet nyee kiikoore. Tekeryoonteet plural tekeriishek (a set a part) is a special person in all Kony land. Of the like category in our land are twins and Kisaiinteet (those born after twins). In all spheres of influence chitaab koreet took maximum caution in handling these special class of people. The reason is that if not handled well, they portend trouble not because of their own making but by nature's rules. One tenet of a Sabaot is to marry. A man who never got to marry has by himself struck of his name from future generations. You were never named after. When a Sabaot marries he expects to have a fruit of his womb that is children. If he gets children but they die soon after being born one after another, one had to do a special rite. This rite is called "tekeriisheet". Tekeriisheet is setting a child soon being born to forestall its death. How was it done? There were different ways of doing it. It was believed t...

Pronouns Me - ani Him - inee/weroo/murono/bontoono. her - inee/lakwana/cheshana/ bukatana. You - inyiing We - acheek Them - icheek Us -? They -? Those -? In koreet there are some pronouns when used, for example koorkeet (lady)/ bakaakan (man) are disparaging. Try those above. Any other that I have forgotten?

Meerikwo - you don't like me or just [you dislike me.] e.g meerikwo inyiink nee mboo kichake! Meriikwo/meriipko - to give guard to someone's belongings. E.g meriikwo nasuumnyaniik am mbareen mochoor choorik! Merukwo! Has got two meanings in our Sabaot community language. 1. You will follow me later. E.g Merukwo leet! 2. Given an assignment ya kupalilia shamba /mimea la mtu. E.g Merukwo mbareet sekekaaskey yoo awechekey! Chitaab kooret!

The Kalenjin tribe belongs to the Nilotic ethnic group called highland Nilotes which consists of the following sub-tribes spread throughout East Africa; • Kipsigis • Nandi • Keiyo • Marakwet • Sabaot/Kony • Pokots/Suk • Terik • Ogiek/Dorobo • Tugen (Samor, Eldorais, Lembus,Pokor keben,Aror) • Sengwer/Cherangany The above are in Kenya while in Tanzania consists of: • Barabaek • Tatireek • Hilbangrangaek • Sonjoek • Sirikwaek (Sindawi) • Nataeek) • Badyut • Tatogaeek In Sudan are Morule among others while in Uganda are Sebei or Kipsabiny among others. The word or term ‘Kalenjin’ was coined by earlier scholars of the tribe during 1940s probably at Alliance High school. This is because all the sub tribes of Kalenjin always utter the word ‘Kaleeii’ meaning ‘I say or l say to you’, before uttering or saying any word. Thus the word ‘kaleeii’ is common to all of the sub-tribe hence Kalenjin collectively.Earlier the colonialist used to refer to all k...

1. Ndiema 2. Ndiwa 3. Ngeywo 4. Naibei 5. Masai 6. Matui 7. Temko 8. Tamnai The above listed names are the ones holding the uniqueness of the Sabaot community. One cannot find these names in other highland nilote communities other than Chitaab kooret community herself. They are the ancestral of all names owned by Sabaots. Kaynook che tooloyech miisin!

Kayii ntoo meenyo kang'aab buusyek kerebeet! Am sorry for Nandis. To them 'Nandis' [I don't know how Kipsigisyek and all other highland nilote groups call] buusyek is something else which cannot be mentioned publicly anyhowly. But according to Chitaab kooret, flour is what we call buusyek or mnyeet! #SebeiNation

SABAOT CLANS [It includes clans from both Kenya and Uganda [ areet (singular) or arosiok (Plural)] . Note: The 85 clan names below are listed in alphabetical order. We welcome your feedback, Additions or any corrections by sending us an email via sebeination@gmail.com and we will respond ASAP. 1) Kaabai 2) Kaapiit 3) Kaboorek 4) Kamaek 5) Kamakameek 6) Kamakorotok 7) Kamaranga 8) Kamaratiek 9) Kamelgut 10) Kamingirok 11) Kamonge 12) Kamuguniek 13) Kamukayeek 14) Kamukeek 15) Kamusareek 16) Kamweng'eek 17) Kapbateek 18) Kapbungar 19) Kapbunwa 20) Kapchayek 21) kapchaanek 22) Kapchagor 23) Kapchebasa 24) Kapcheboek 25) Kapcheebooyoo 26) Kapchemagige 27) Kapchemandan 28) Kapchemai 29) Kapchemekwen 30) Kapchenomor 31) Kapchepchui 32) Kapchepmeson 33) Kapchepokot 34) Kapcheromor 35) Kapcherotich 36) Kapcherotik 37) Kapchesokwo 38) Kapchesonek 39) Kapchesongol 40) Kapchogen 41) Kapchorwa 42) Kapjeepayeek 43) Kapjoombis 44) Kapkamafit 45)...

A Sebei Man poses for a photo outside his hut near Mt. Elgon The photo was taken by Sir Harry Johnston in 1902

Kapchorwa SS students chatting in Kapchorwa town overlooking the now west division way before the tarmacking of the main road.can u guess which year was this photo taken? Let us know in the Comment Section.

1. Tombisiet- camel 2. Ting'ong'et- crocodile 3. Nyumbut- mule 4. Boinet - gazelle 5. Laitigo- zebra 6. Kimagetiet- hyena 7. Makaita- hippo 9. Cheplanget- leopard 10. Peliot- elephant 11. Ngotiat- wild beast 12. Soet- buffalo 13. Chemengewet- spiny ant eater 14. Cheswereret- hedgehog 15. Ngetundo- lion 16. Tisiet - baboon 17. Ng'ororiet- goat 18. Ngechiryet- sheep 19. Cherekweny- hare 20. Ketet- cheeteh 21. Murngetunyit- black panther 22. Kiplekwet - rabbit 23. Torgong - honey becker 24. Moset- monkey 25. Koroitiet - colombus monkey 26. Cheptirkichet - antelope 27. Suiyot- wild dog 28. Lelwot- Jackal 29. Koboet - squirrel 30. Chereret-Vervet monkey 31. Kipsirichet - rhino 32. Kesengit 33. Mbilisiet - stunk 34. Toret - warthog 35. Mengubeito- salamander 36. Kimenjerut - groundhog 37. Masiroret 38. Nderit - hyrax 39. Kipsomberet - impala 40. Songoliet- ostrich 41. Kooteet – ant eater, 42 Impolet - black bushbuck 43. Miindet – Bon...

This is a traditional fermented milk (Yoghurt) variant of the Kalenjin people of Kenya & Uganda. It can be made from cow or goat milk and is fermented in a specially made calabash gourd locally known as Sotet/Tarket. The gourd is lined with soot from specific trees which add flavor to the fermented milk. . How it is Prepared: . A gourd is smeared inside with special charcoal called "osek" / ''Nusek''; from this, gray lines can be seen when pouring the thick, sour milk. In preparing the gourd, the Kalenjin women, for instance, make a brush (sosiot/ Sosiondet) from a branch of cycad tree used to clean the inside. Brushes made from this tree are hardy and may last for up to two years before replacement. Charcoal "osek",''Nusek' ', formed from the smouldering embers of branches from the Ite or Itet tree (peanut butter cassia, scientifically known as Senna didymobotrya ), is used as a milk preservative. Wom...

Y.M. Chemonges Kingoo of Sebei In your remembrance 51 years today(On date of Posting January 25 2017). No day goes by without your family thinking of you. Your legacy lives on. Posthumously recognized and celebrated as a Hero on 09.10.2015 by H.E. Yoweri K. Museveni, The President of The Republic of Uganda. I usually say I'm not the jealous type, but there's one thing I'm jealous of, people who have grown up or met they grandfather's. 51 years ago The Kingoo of sebei left this world. His job and assignment were complete. The sebei people lost a leader, a lion among men. The Chemonges family lost their father, brother, uncle, grandfather and great-grandfath er. My one wish on the planet would have been to meet my grandfather. He is the pillar that holds us together. The values I pass my children came from his values. While i might desire to see you in the physical sense, I know you are with us spiritually in every step we take. No day goes by without...

A Must Read Story! . Many times a hungry crying child was told to hush and go to sleep because father or mother were coming with food and the exhausted child will fall asleep while in believe that truly, papa and mom were returning with food and gnaws of hunger will disappear. But some have waited invain without knowing that their parents had gone to a thieving mission which quarantees no safe return. . It was one morning in the month of May 1993 when I went to inspect my maize farm along the road in Ng'erep area at Chepkurkur. I had a thousand problems concerning that maize farm. I had planted those maize earlier and by the month of May, I was the only person with ripen maize and all eyes in the village and beyond were on me. Some neighbours came to borrow and others didn't mind to seek my permission but went a head and helped themselves. Dogs and wild animal too ravaged the the farm. So when I was walking towards the farm, I was vowing not to repeat that mistake again....

The Sabaot tribe is one of the nine sub-tribes of the Kalenjin tribe. The other eight tribes are: Sengwer, Tugen, Terik, Keiyo, Kipsigis, Pokot, Marakwet and Nandi who live in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. The Sabaots are the authentic Kalenjin tribe commonly referred as "Kapkugo" by the other Kalenjin sub-tribes. Sabaot tribe is comprised of six sub-dialects namely: The Pok, somek, Mosop, Kony, Bong'omek and Sabiny(Sebei). The Sabaot community has been subdivided into smaller segments who live in diverse regions due to factors such as British colonization, migration and political influence by dominant neighboring communities, tribes and governments. Cherop Mark, Sebei Nation

“The process begins with dancing. The initiate goes around inviting his relatives and friends to attend the ceremony. Until the last day that is called the eve of the circumcision. That's when some rituals are done and in the morning the cutting is done.” The Sebei did not have a traditional cutter of their own until the mid-1980s; instead they asked Bagisu cutters to perform the procedure. However, in the last 20 years, the Sebei trained their cutters by shadowing those of the Bagisu group. -Mark

The Sebei or Sabiny (Sapiny) are people of Kalenjin stock living on the Uganda side of Mt Elgon. They are estimated to number 230000 and speak a Kalenjin dialect known as Kubsapiny. The Sabiny, like the rest of the Kalenjin, circumcise teenage boys as a rite of passage. About three-quarters of the population lives on the escarpment, an area that was originally characterized by thick forests, fast flowing rivers, including the well-known Sipi River with its three falls. Much of the land has now been cleared for agricultural production, resulting in a change in rainfall pattern and warmer temperatures than was previously the case. The change in temperatures has also resulted in increased incidences of malaria cases. The Sebei are by tradition pastoralists, keeping cattle, goats and sheep but this occupation has today been seriously circumscribed because there is not much land on which to keep large stocks of animals. Other problems that have hindered livestock rearing are constant ...