Kalenjin, Keiyo in Kenya
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Map Source:
Anonymous
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| People Name: | Kalenjin, Keiyo |
| Country: | Kenya |
| 10/40 Window: | No |
| Population: | 268,000 |
| World Population: | 268,000 |
| Primary Language: | Keiyo |
| Primary Religion: | Christianity |
| Christian Adherents: | 75.00 % |
| Evangelicals: | 3.00 % |
| Scripture: | Translation Started |
| Ministry Resources: | No |
| Jesus Film: | No |
| Audio Recordings: | Yes |
| People Cluster: | Nilotic |
| Affinity Bloc: | Sub-Saharan Peoples |
| Progress Level: |
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Introduction / History
The Elgeyo, also known as Keiyo, people live in the highlands near Eldoret. Many also have moved to live in towns and cities where they are involved in a variety of businesses. Others in the home area work small farms and live on milk, grains such as sorghum, millet and maize, blood and meat from their cattle, goats and sheep.
From Wikipedia, "Territorially, the Elgeiyo People divided their land into 16-east-west stretches to control intermarriage and displacement of a clan by other clans and a system of totems were acquired. The land was divided so that each group had access to the banks of Kerio River and thus the totems ran perpendicular to the river. The land was sub-divided to members of the same clan marked by a series of stones referred to as Koiwek."
Like many groups in Africa, each male is part of an "age set". A woman is part of the age set of her husband. Each set is all those born within about an eight to ten year span of time such that a boy and his father must have one set between them.
The Elgeyo are one of the Kalenjin peoples who also live in Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia. They constitute nearly 15 percent of the Kenyan population. The famous runners from Kenya are disproportionately Kalenjin.
The people speak KiSwahili and English in addition to Geiyo.
What Are Their Beliefs?
While most Elgeyo identify as Christian, there are also a sizeable number who follow their traditional animist religion.