THE TURKANA CLANS and LOCATIONS

Welcome again my dear Readers in this Reflection as requested earlier through our social media platforms. I am not going to put this into details due to its wide nature as history is history. It all began during the great split at Moru-Anayece in the early 1600 as written in other articles. However, I will explain this in summary not considering how the clans names came about. So far, I have registered Twelve [12] major clans among the Turkana, although there is other Eight [8] minor clans which came into existence during and after the Colonial Era due to displacement in some regions. So, walk with me as I take you through the journey.

The split at Moru-Anayece was the second after the major split from Karamoja cluster which saw the formation of the Teso, Matheniko, Pian, Dodoth, Toposa, Dongiro also referred as Nyangatom and finally the Jie whom Turkana Origin is traced from. The second split was prompted by the lost Bulls from Nakapelimoru a jie village in Uganda, currently the biggest village in Eastern Horn of Africa. The village is a few kilometers to Kotido town the headquarter of the Jie County.

The Legendary Mother “Ata Nayece” is said to have come from Lokoroo village but her parents lived in the village of Losilang. These villages are not far from each other even today since they are located in the same region. The Lady Nayece left the village to a foreign land though History does not tell us clear reasons for her departure.

She left for the world unknown only to be traced by the search party warriors who were looking for the lost bulls. When they were tracking the bulls’ footprints, they ended up at her caves referred to as ngaturkanin. What is known of the Lady is that she lived as a gatherer depending on wild fruits and berries. She lived a life of isolation yet the warriors described it as a small paradise due to its serene nature. Plenty of grass, clean water, bushy, surplus edible fruits and wildlife.

As discussed early in the previous article on the origin of the turkana tribe the warriors managed to persuade their elders and parents and were finally granted permission and blessings and drove to the small “paradise”. The warriors and their young sisters drove the Livestock to the new found Land and settled in the Area for years. Consequently, for some time, they maintained constant communication with their parents but as time went by, communication slowly faded away as they migrated from place to place due to overcrowding and overstocking. Each and every clan formed a clan tracing back from the moru-anayece as captured in the article, Turkana clans. They moved in such of greener pastures and clean water and never owned permanent houses or structures due to the nature of their stay.

These movements were marred by constant attacks from the occupants. To the West, they battled with the Dodoth who had occupied the Areas of Pelekech and Songot Hills, to the extreme North were the Toposa and Dongiro who occupied Mogila, Lokwanamoru and Lorionotom respectively. To the East were the Samburu, Randille and towards the south were the Pokot and the Marakwet. Despite the hostility from the communities, the Turkana warriors were very ferocious and agile that they were able to overpower all their enemies making them wealthy and powerful against their enemies. they acquired a lot of livestock from their enemies including Camels which they did not have before under the Command of the Diviners and Heroes. Through these expeditions the Turkana were able to conquer the greater Land in which they occupy now by driving all the tribes as far as isiolo, Maralal, Baragoi, Loriu, Kulal and Loyangalani.

Consequently, in the North West there were Ngiruru, Nginyangakipor, Ngikwangae, Ngimerurot, Ngimarain, Ngichumakaal and Ngichumangorok groups among the Kwatela who drove out the Toposa and the Dongiro. These groups are traced back to the sixth Generations of the Turkana occupation in the present Land.

The Turkana people are divided into two main Divisions;

✓ NGICHURO: and ✓ NGIMONIA.

The two Divisions are identified by the difference in Lugalias [Ngapolia] usually pieces of meat connected to the kidney of the Animal during the meat feasting ceremony know as  Akiriket. In other words, the Ngichuro have four to six Lugalias while the Ngimonia have two Lugalias. The clans that belong to Ngichuro include; Ngilukumong, Ngiwoyakwara, Ngikamatak, Ngisonyoka, Ngibilae, Ngiriongae and Ngiesetou while Ngimonia include; Ngikwatela, Ngijie, Ngiyapakuno, Nginyangataok and Ngisiger. These are the main clans while other sub clans include; Ngimampolia [People who disregard the use of Lugalias during the meat feasting ceremony] and Ngingotonyia [People who eat vegetables] who were resettled to their present Land of occupation during the long drought to Katilu, Kaputir, Nakwamoru and along the Turkwel River, Ngidirikonyen, Ngiguniyae, Ngikibongoi and to the western side of the Lake are Ngimataperi, Ngigiramuk and Ngigorokinyang.

Subsequently, the Turkana people have Twenty-eight [28] Brands known as ngimacharin which are practically branded on the Livestock as a sign of belonging to a certain family for ease of identification. Brands are Ngimacharin which do not change, people of the same brand are related by blood and are consequently larger than the clan because they are found in all the clans which go by Locations.