Tracing the roots of Maasai laibon Letoya

Below the slopes of the Longurman hills in Keek-Onyokie ward, Kajiado county, lives Laibon Simel ole Letoya.

Laibon Letoya a simple energetic and authoritative elderly man is a scion of Laibon Mbatian ole Lenana, Letoya's great-grandfather.

Laibon Lenana led the Maasai community between 1890 and 1904. A laibon is someone of great importance in traditional Maasai community. They are gifted with the power to see the future.

The Maasai laibons of yesteryears were great men endowed with wisdom and acted as spokesmen of the Maasai community in pre-independent Kenya.

Laibons negotiated with early Europeans when they first came to Kenya.

The Star traced the abode of Laibon Lenana’s scion after it emerged, Letoya inherited supernatural powers from his father, the late ole Tiapapusha.

Tiapapusha, who passed on several years back, could trace his lineage to Laibon Supet who ruled the Maa Nation between 1850–1866.

Like his father, Letoya is a seer, claims to have supernatural powers and acts as the “extra eye” of the more than two million members of the Maasai community in Kenya.

His great-grandfathers, who was feared and revered in equal measure, had the powers to bless, heal, condemn, and even curse those who broke the community laws.

Letoya’s father, Tiapapusha, was installed as Keek-Onyokie’s laibon in the 1940s and his jurisdiction covered the larger Kankere, Matapato, Ildamat and Iloodokilani regions in Kajiado and the Purko in Narok.

After Tiapapusha passed on in 1961, his son, Letoya took over leadership and was installed laibon. Under Maasai customs, a laibon lived like the biblical Caesar Augustus.

Caesar, during his era, received taxes from his subjects. Similarly, laibons received “presents from their subjects" as a way of showing respect and thanking them for their leadership.

When Letoya took over leadership from his father, churches were increasingly becoming powerful in Maasailand and most people turned to christianity. His source of wealth started diminishing, given the fact that people took their tithes to church and forgot about their traditional leader.

In 2013, a group of young men who were mostly circumcised around 1993 to 1995 came together and decided to revisit the role of laibon in their community.

They felt that the church was not modelling them in preparation for their role in future leadership. Some of them felt that after they were circumcised in the early 1990s, they did not thank their laibon.

One of them, who sought anonymity, said they have bought 49 heads of cattle to present as a gift to Laibon Letoya.

“It is true, we are in talks with Laibon Letoya’s handlers. We want him to accept our present for the good work he is doing for the Maa nation. He is our undisputed leader," the Nairobi businessman said.

Letoya who has two wives and several children, (it is a taboo to mention the number among the Maasai), told the Star his popularity emerged in 2013 when politicians sought his help to win the election.

“I started seeing politicians who were coming to seek powers to win elections. Others came to seek wealth or to reconcile with those in power,” Letoya, who sat facing the West on his traditional seat, said.

He said among the politicians are church bishops from around Kenya, America, and Europe. Letoya speaks in the local dialect (Maa language) and has personal assistants who translate to non-speaking Maasai clients.

“I cannot name most of them because I will have broken our covenant. They come in choppers, others come at night wanting to know their political destiny during elections, and I serve then well,” Letoya said.

Laibon Letoya charges Sh100 to read your problem, and a “negotiable” amount to resolve them. The process is simple as he assembles stones that he packs into a massive bull horn.

He reads stars as he looks for "dangerous signs" that may threaten his community. He does not charge the community for all he does for them.

Edited by A.N