1,500 Maasai warriors graduate, urged to fight FGM

Songs, chants, ululations and celebrations capped a three-week ceremony in which over 1,500 Maasai morans graduated into new roles.

The ceremony, Emanyatta Eunooto, is part of critical Maasai rites of passage, where the moran age set graduates from boys to elders.

The event happened at Osinoni village in Kilgoris, Narok county, and involved Maasai Uasin Gishu clan. It is held every five to eight years.

The ceremony that involved Ilkileu age group started last year in December and concluded with various activities between Sunday and Tuesday.

Speaking during the climax rituals on Monday, ceremony chairman Peter Semeyoi said the cultural ceremonies have been modified over time in light of the Constitution and modernity.

“This is very important and I’m happy we have modified this culture to confirm with the current world because we are doing this when the schools are on recess,” Semeyoi said.

He said that among the graduating morans were about 200 graduates, university and secondary school students.

The Morans camped at the Manyatta for about three weeks, a departure from the past when they would stay for as long as three months with no regard to education seasons.

“Right now, because of conformity to current world and the Constitution, we are counseling them that FGM is no longer acceptable and preparing them to get married to women who have not gone through that process. They are ready to accept that," Semeyoi said.

Semeyoi said during the three-week stay in the manyatta, the morans are taught to adapt and conform to the laws of the country.

“Even the elders have accepted and the process has stopped. Long time ago, they used to organise a big ceremony to take girls for FGM but it is no longer there. We are making them understand the law does not allow that,” he said.

During the three days, the morans went round the manyatta settlement several times, shaved their hair, went to secret seclusion with elders and undertook final rituals to bond them as an age set.

“Shaving the hair means graduating from youth to elders, while by running around means bonding them together and making them go through difficult times to prepare them for hard times ahead,” he said.

“We take time to advise and take them though a process that will enhance their discipline and their responsibility. The world should know this is a very important thing.”

Last week, governors Joseph ole Lenku (Kajiado), Jonathan Leleliit (Samburu) and Patrick ole Ntutu (Narok) said education and culture could be a game changer in unity and progress of the Maa community.

Tourism PS John Ololtuaa said the ceremony is one of the rituals that has continued to position the Maasai culture not only on locally but also globally.

He said the Maa community will identify other key cultural activities that will be held annually to sustain and conserve the Maasai culture.

He noted that the Ushanga initiative, which seeks to transform ornamental traditional beadwork by Maasai women into viable enterprise, will be one of the key strategies to preserve culture.

Monday events saw the boys blessed by elders at a special sacred ground made by fence called Olale and sacred house called Osingira.

Both Osingira and Olale are constructed by clean elders who are vetted.

“If you have a murder case and any other case, you cannot take part in building of Osingira. It is where the blessing will take place. It is cleansed then protected. They will take their meal there and sleep there,” Semeyoi explained.

The morans are given meat from two bulls by the elders and a small piece of skin is put on their left finger, a significance that they have shared together and are now in another new age group.

After the final blessings inside the Olale, the Morans are officially elders and are at liberty to marry and start own families and be independent.

Edited by EKibii