Pokot People of Kenya, some parts of Uganda and Tanzania.
Saturday, October 9, 2021
Pokot People can be found in Kenya, some parts of Uganda and Tanzania, they are part of the Kalejin ethnic group and also part of the Nilotic speaking branch, they are related to the Marakwet, Nandi and Turken People.
According to Pokot Anthropologist , they are Kalenjins who originated from Southern Abyssania which is now Present day Southern Ethiopia and migrated to Southward to Present day Kenya as early as 2, 000 years others claimed they migrated from Present day South Sudan and settled in Present day Southern Ethiopia then migrated to Present day Kenya, Uganda and some parts of Tanzania around the early 17th Century.
In their Culture , they cultivate crops such as maize, millet, sorghum and other crops and they are also patoralists who take care of cows, cows are slaughtered for meat, cows milk which is provided is used for butter, cream cheese and yoghurt for traditional yoghurt the women grind the bark, put it in new milk gourds for one week to remove bitterness and used the dry parts of the tree, after burning it to treat the ash yogurt gourd then leave the gourd to cool, then put the Ozoroa insignis burning wood splint into the gourd then boil the fresh milk, let it cool and keep the gourd treated with Ozoroa insigins charcoal splints overnights, and grind them during the grinding process the ground black ash gives the fresh milk the black colour, after the grourd is treated with the ash they pour the cooled milk into it after sieving off the cream then close the grourd with milk, stored and wait for about 3 days for it to ferment.
Making yogurt what happens next after the milk ferments to ash yogurt about 3 days they insert the stick to help, pour the water out and leave ash yogurt then shake the gourd and severe it, after the ash yogurt is stored there is no risk for children to break them and the treasure Ozoroa insigins wood they do not mix it with other firewood then tied it below the firewood store.
That way no one will use it to cook by accident its a rare wood, In their traditions and cultures they performed folk music and dances for dancing they have jumping dance which is similar to other ethnic groups in East Africa, men can marry more than one he must be able to take good care of their wives and children.
When a man want to marry the family have to bring cow as a gift and the man have to consult the elders to find out wheter the women are interested and willing to get married to the men and youg men undergo intiation, for young men who participate there is age requirement you have to be between the ages of 15 and 20 .
While young women should be around 12 and in their adulthood after intiation they undergo puberity rites after that young men are allowed to marry women from close bonds and man who reached an old age they demand respect the elders are the head of the clans and they play a big role during festivals, decisions and cultural ceremonies.
Torokot is the Supreme being referred as The Creator , in the Pokot traditions , Torokot bless the people and reward people for their good deeds and punishment for their evil deeds, they also have the sun and moon concept in their Spiritualism.
According to Turko they are one of Kenya’s fearlessness ethnic group and still feared sinced Independence, Traditional medicine among them is used to cure diseases such as Typhoid, Malaria, Cancer and other kind of diseases.
Wealth is measured by how many cows the family gave the most their wealth by cows the women can get married to men determined by the number of cows, In Kenya it is said some young women are covered with animal skins during intiation into womanhood and most of their arts are associated with body ornamentation including beadwork and intricate coiffures.