The ritual was elaborate and perplexing. Selected elders, youths and children from each side of the volatile border removed their shoes and stood still, on a yellow mat, their eyes glued to the scenic but troubled Nyando Valley.
An eerie silence fell on the crowd that joined CORD leader Raila Odinga at the Kibigori grounds to witness the ritual as a Nandi elder, dressed in a black coat and armed with a special fly-whisk, stepped forward to administer the oath that would end decades of sporadic bloodshed between the two communities.
The elder, his face glistening with sweat, then started smearing the feet of the ritual team — from both sides — with a special liquid; a mixture of milk and ‘bala’ (lime). He uttered inaudible words as he administered the oath.
SAME PLATE
As he did this, two women emerged from a makeshift hut, carrying two gigantic sufurias containing special meal of lamb meat, prepared specifically for the ceremony. The elders, children and the youth in the ritual team ate from the same plate and drunk soup from the same cup to symbolise unity and forgiveness.
To cap it all, two girls aged between 4 and 9, exchanged spears. The spear brought in by the Nandis was later handed over to Raila in recognition of his role as a peacemaker.
A makeshift hut, where the paraphernalia were kept, was constructed without using a nail. Two young men from the two sides spent the Saturday night at the hut, with the door wide open as dictated by the customs.
The ritual known in Luo as “Ngado Guok” (cutting the dog), is a medieval ceremony conducted among enemies to help end a war. The Sunday event was planned in secret. The milk was extracted from a special cow identified by the elders from both sides.
“We have done our part. You have witnessed it in broad daylight. It means the animosity between the Luos and Kalenjins is over. Whoever raises a club, a spear or panga against each other will have himself to blame,” said Ali Bitok.
Like the ‘gods’ and ‘godesses’ in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the Luo and Nandi elders who administered the ritual vanished into the crowd as soon as they had a brief session with Raila. No one knows the message they whispered to the CORD leader.
PLAYED PART
Luo Council of Elders Chairman Willys Otondi echoed sentiments from his Nandi counterparts: “We have played our part. We have spent nearly two months planning this ceremony. Let no one breach it. We want to see total peace and cooperation along the border because it is not a laughing matter.”
Mzee Otondi regretted that elected leaders from Nandi skipped the event, but added: “We still did not know why they didn’t come but the elders from both sides have performed their duties.”
The two communities have been fighting over the rich tracts of land falling along the Railway line. Cattle rustling and politics have helped fuel the skirmishes.
It is estimated that more than 100 people may have died in the cross-border wars in the past 10 years.
Yesterday, a villager who spoke to The Standard feared the failure by Nandi leaders to attend the function could affect the peace pact.
“This thing might not work because it requires political goodwill. While Nyanza leaders were all here, including Raila, the governor and area MPs, not even an MCA from Nandi attended,” said Martin Obiero, a farmer.
Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma said he had been in touch with his Nandi counterpart Cleopas Langat over the ceremony and expected him to attend. But will the ritual help end the frequent fights across along the border that dates back before independence? Only time will tell.
