The battle of mogori

HOW THE KIPSIGIS LOST THE KIPKOIMET AGESET
By Kipkemoi Araap Korir

One curious peculiarity of the Kipsigis just like the Nandi is missing an ageset and having seven Agesets instead of the normal Kalenjin holy number eight.

While the Nandi miss the Korongoro ageset having been killed by the Masai, the Kipsigis miss the Kipkoimet whose fate we shall learn about in this sad narrative.

So what happened to the Kipsigis Kipkoimet ageset? How come they have an odd number of Agesets which is against the Kalenjin norm?

In the 1700s the Kipsigis had all eight agesets. But a misadventure by the Kipkoimet Ageset in the 1800s led to their  devastating massacre leading to the removal of the ageset from the cycle completely.

Other Kalenjin subtribes have also deleted Agesets including the Nandi who deleted Korongoro after massive losses versus the Masai and the Tugen who deleted the Maina after a massacre by the Keiyo and the Masai.

Today let us examine the fate of the Kipsigis Kipkoimet and the decision to write off the ageset.

Nearly one and half centuries later, the most devastating military defeat in Kipsigis history is still felt mainly by the jumping of Agesets straight from Korongoro to Kaplelach bypassing Kipkoimet.

The Battle of Mogori was a devastating military encounter between the Kipsigis on one hand and the Kisii, Kuria and Luo on the other.

The losses suffered by the Kipsigis wiped off Kipkoimet ageset.  The battle of Mogori is well documented in many oral and written sources, but in short this is what happened.

A century and a half ago, Kipsigis warriors of Kipkoimet ageset were massacred at a place called Mogori Valley in Nyamira County.

In a classical case of pride comes before a fall, the Kipsigis warriors were cornered, waylaid, descended upon and slaughtered.

The implication was so huge that young uncircumcised boys had to step in to help in procreation.

The children born after this were called Someek. Some is still a popular name in Kipsigis having its origin after the encounter.

To date, a mention of Porietab Mogori (Mogori Massacre) sends chills down the spines of the Kipsigis people.

The fate of the Kipsigis warriors that led to death of tens of them in Mogori valley in Kisii is thought to be as a result of a Ngooki, "sin" that they committed earlier in Siyiapei.

They mistreated, injured and even led to deaths of some women after a botched cattle raid. The curse against their evil deeds was repaid more expensively under the reign the Kipsigis Orkoiyoot Kipchomber Araap Koilege.

Kipsigis men who then were then dominant in war, assembled at Bureti and went to raid the Abagusii despite a warning by the community’s Orkoiyot.

The resulting encounter came to be known as the Battle of Mogori. The Bureti males were almost wiped out. However, a few people managed to escape from this massacre, Kalenjin linguist Taaita Toweet uncle died in the battle.

As the Kipsigis prepared a great raid on the Gusii, one of the requirements before any raid, Maina Araap Chemwa of Kipindoek clan (who lived at Kamirai village- married to eight wives and reared sheep) sought the blessings and consent of Orkoiyoot Araap Koilege, the Kipsigis seer and brother to Koitalel Araap Samoei.

The Orkoiyot advised them against raiding Mogori. But the brave warriors disobeyed the directive and proceeded.

The omen was bad.

Vultures hoovered over their heads but they dismissed and claimed that they were waiting to eat their dead enemies.

Young boys were enlisted as Pirtiich to drive the cattle home, and women were also enlisted as porters to carry away the captured stores of food.

The raiding party was headed by Malabun Araap Makiche from Sotik. At Buret, Chesengeny Araap Kaborok and his warriors joined the band. At Belgut more warriors joined. Most of the young men were of the newly curcumcisied Kipkoimet Ageset, while the older ones were Sawe ageset.

The march, which started in the afternoon, reached Gusii country at dusk. As they marched, they were followed by a large number of vultures - a sure sign of bad luck.

Chesengeny tried to convince Malabun to abandon the raid but Malabun would have none of it. In Gusii-land the first phase of the raid (in Mugirango and Kitutu) was successful, and they destroyed many Gusii villages, but then things began to go wrong.

Two leaders of the Kipsigis raiders disagreed, and as a result one party returned home, while the other, led by Malabun Araap Makiche, went on to raid the Luo.

Back in the hills the Gusii were blowing their horns and drumming to summon all their warriors. Knowing that the Kipsigis had crossed to Luo-land, the Gusii laid a trap for them. By the early hours of the morning the Gusii warriors were lining the eastern edge of Manga Escarpment in ambush.

At dawn a large noise was heard, it was the Luo following the retreating Kipsigis raiders. As the Kipsigis started to ascend the escarpment along the valley of the Charachani River, they fell upon the Gusii  at Getwanyi in Kitutu.

The ambush was devastating, both in size and casualties.

The Luo arrived at the battleground when the fight had already started. With both the Luo and Gusii at battle, and with the well laid Gusii ambush, the Kipsigis Kipkoimet force was practically wiped out.

Very few managed to escape. It is said that some of the survivors hid among the corpses of their fellow tribesmen, others jumped into the rivers and hid in the swamps until nightfall.

During the nightfall they escaped back to Kipsigis land. The younger brother of Araap Chemwa (Barkuto) who had just got married before going for the raid was killed and his widow was adopted by Araap chemwa making her his ninth wife.

So great was the loss of life that the Kipsigis elders ordered the 'premature' initiation of young boys into warrior-hood, and encouraged, Someek or uncircumcised young men to marry early so as to increase the population of the tribe.

The Gusii had never before achieved such a victory, the Kipsigis call it Battle of Mogori.

It is told that, a year after the battle, there was famine in kisii that almost wiped out members of that community. Whereas there was famine in Kisii, the Kipsigis had plenty of food.

Given that the kisiis were dying of hunger and on the other hand the Kipsigis had plenty to spare the Kisiis decided to barter their young men for food.

Other young men were given for free if only to survive. This giving of young men to the Kipsigis to fill up the loss occasioned at the battle of Mogori may explain why seven Kipsigis clans have blood relationship with kisii clans.

Clans like Matabori is what Kisiis call Botabori. Similarly, Mabasi is called Bobasi in Kisii.