‘Lightning is our in-law,’ Marakwet clan says

Peter Chelang'a, a member of Kachebugus clan from Elgeyo Marakwet. Kachebugus clan members believe that lightning married one of their daughters and she lives with it in the river. (PHOTO: KEVIN TUNOI/ STANDARD)

An interesting tale is told among the Kachebugus clan members of the Marakwet community. A story of how lightning, Ilat in the local dialect, married one of their daughters and even paid dowry for her.

While many may hold this to be nothing but a traditional myth, these community members hold onto this as indisputable truth.

We got to learn about this tale after interacting with council elders who had recently convened to solve a land dispute in Motos area.

Speaking to one of the elders, Nicholas Kipsang, we discovered that not only did Ilat marry one of their daughters but that a son was born out of this union.

“The woman had gone to fetch water from River Moon and when she did not come back, her parents were concerned and a search was launched. They were, however, completely unable to find her,” Kipsang narrated.

He said one morning, after the girl’s disappearance, villagers woke up to find several beer pots and honey around a tree near the missing girl’s homestead. Elders were called upon to explain the mystery and it was then determined that these items were dowry paid for the girl by Ilat.

“After much deliberations, the elders drunk the beer and ate the honey to show acceptance of Ilat’s proposal to marry their daughter. They did this to avoid the wrath that comes with rejecting the request to give away their daughter,” he said.

Joining in on the conversation, Peter Chelanga — another elder — said after a long while, their daughter came back home with a son who she said she’d had with Ilat.

“The boy freely mingled with other children and he too begun to herd his grandfather’s cattle. Villagers soon noticed that the animals had begun producing more milk and remained healthy even during prolonged dry spells,” Chelanga said.

People could not understand what the animals were eating to keep them so healthy and this talk piqued the grandfather’s curiosity who decided to secretly follow his grandson to the grazing fields.

He watched in awe as the young boy struck his herder’s stick on the ground and grass mysteriously sprouted and his animals then fed. Unable to contain his joy, the elderly man began shouting, praising the young boy but the latter was not impressed by his grandfather’s actions.

“That evening, when the boy returned the livestock to their shed, an extremely dazzling lightning flash cut across the skies followed by a thunderous explosion and the boy disappeared never to be seen again. His mother cried hard and this resulted in a huge downfall that was accompanied by floods,” Chelanga said.

To date, the Kachebugus are the only clan who claim to have married off their daughter to lightning and are famed for their prowess in ‘making’ rain.

“Today when there is drought, young girls go with a goat — from one selected family — down the river for special prayers which are led by one of their aunties. They go round the river singing then give honey and traditional beer, it usually rains heavily immediately this ritual is performed,” Cheros Chugor, another elder, told us.

He says Ilat has continued providing for their community, but demands they reciprocate by tending to a tree called Yemit, which is where they collected dowry for their daughter years ago. The tree is located in Motos area.

This tree is so important to the community that when it fell a few years ago, special prayers had to be made to protect the community from extinction. Following the prayers, another tree sprouted at the same spot and stones have been placed all around it to protect it. This is where the community also holds its special prayers.

According to Cheros, only men with firstborn daughters can go to the Yemit tree for prayers while the ram used in the rain sacrifice can only come from one family believed to consist of peacemakers. This ritual continues to date.

Former Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Managing Director Dr John Kibosia who comes from the clan confirms that this belief — that lightning married one of their daughters — is firmly held and that preference is given to those men who have daughters as their first-borns.

“It is still believed when your first born child is not a girl you cannot speak when it is raining and there is lightning. Rain is a compulsory accompanying factor in all ceremonies,” Kibosia said.