Maasai elders slaughter special bull ahead of Ntimama's burial

The 'special' bull that was slaughtered in honour of the Narok veteran politician William Ole Ntimama at his Motonyi home in the outskirts of Narok town. PHOTO: ROBERT KIPLAGAT/STANDARD

NAROK: A special bull was slaughtered yesterday to mark the "decent" death of William ole Ntimama who will be buried on Wednesday.

Ntimama died in his sleep on September 1 at his home in Melili. Before his death the aging Maasai elder had predicted that he would die in his sleep and not in hospital.

Mr Ntimama had identified a bull and had asked that it be slaughtered during the special ceremony.

According to Maasai culture, the bull for such a ceremony, which is considered sacred, should not have any blemishes. It was slaughtered by Ntimama's Nyangusi age-group members and friends as a sign of celebrating the respected elder who died a natural death.

The elders blessed the bull before slaughtering it at around 7am yesterday. The meat was then placed on leafy olive branch which act as a table before the meat is roasted, signifying the beginning of the feast.

Joseph ole Maranka, an elder, explained that according to Maasai traditional customs the bull was supposed to be slaughtered and the fat removed from it.

Ideally the fat, he said, would be smeared on the body of the deceased by his elder son assisted by elders. This, however, would not be done on Ntimama as he had embraced Christianity.

"Ntimama was a respected Maa leader. In such instance, the bull had to be a special one. Even though we will not do the real culture as it was, the slaughtering of this bull is enough," said Maranka.

Raen ole Loigero, 92, said such traditional ceremonies would not be complete without elders of the same age as Ntimama taking a Maasai brew known as Enaisho, but because the deceased was a Christian that will not happen.

"A man of his stature who had wealth, family and was a leader who died in his sleep. He deserves the best send-off. The bull itself is a sign of great honour and respect. It is celebrating life," says Loigero.

Madida ole Solitei, 84, said culturally, the deceased's elder son is the one supposed to carry the upper part of the body.

"Although things have changed nowadays, culturally the body of the departed elder had to spend a night at his home before burial the following day," says Solitei.

Upon retiring from politics after failing to recapture the Narok North Constituency seat, Ntimama engaged in livestock farming and reared dairy cows at his Motonyi home and beef cattle at his Melili home.

Ntimama's burial will be a celebration of its kind and all those in attendance are expected to be donned in red traditional shuka's as a sign of respect to the former Heritage minister.

More than 100 bulls and 700 sheep and goats are expected to be slaughtered during the leader's burial.

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to lead high-profile government officials in sending off the respected Maa political father.