Change of guard as Ilchamus hold rare event

There was pomp and colour at Eldepe village in Marigat, Baringo County, as members of minority Ilchamus community held a rare cultural event.

The ceremony was to mark the end of Lkiramat age set and anointing of the age set ‘King’ known as Elaunoni an event held after every 12 years.

The occasion was attended by local political leaders and professionals with over 5,000 youths being circumcised within the last seven years participating in the event.

Lkiramat Eunoto, as the event is called, exhibited the rich Ilchamus culture, as beaded morans laced with red ore (Ilkiramat) and armed with spears, jumped up and down as they sang initiation songs.

According to Ilchamus Elder Lenasolio Dickson, the community just like other Maa speaking communities like the Maasai and Samburu, Ilchamus have age sets which are observed after every 12 years.

“This event marks the end of Lkiramat age set where the morans of this age set anoint their leader Elaunoni and his two assistants, Longichaa and Loboringene, who are the most respected class of the age set,” said Lenasolio.

invaluable wealth

The Elaunoni, he said, is specially selected from the ‘clean’ family who have respect, integrity and leadership qualities through vetting by a panel of elders and will lead the age forever.

He explained: “This anointed young man is somebody respected and can give direction whenever there is a crisis and his decisions are final like for instance if he wants to marry a woman, despite the number of suitors, he will carry the day.”

The celebrations will close the circumcision of men from the community for the next five years. Local leaders who attended the event hailed the community’s culture and called for a legislation to protect such valuable cultures from exploitation by ‘outsiders’ who gain invaluable wealth from them through various tourism ventures. Area MP Grace Kipchoim and her Laikipia North counterpart Mathew Lempurkel and Baringo Deputy Governor Mathew Tuitoek reiterated the need for the Government to protect the cultural values of indigenous communities.

“As a cosmopolitan constituency, we are proud to have different communities such as Ilchamus,”said Kipchoim.