Kalenjin group seeks recognition as a tribe

A Kalenjin sub-tribe has moved to court seeking autonomy from another during the upcoming census arguing their culture and ancestry are distinct.

The Lembus community, which is linked to the Tugens, claimed in their suit that they were forcefully aggregated hence denying them crucial rights as a different community.

“As a result of non-recognition as an official tribe in Kenya, the Lembus are forced to indicate that they are members of Tugen or Maasai communities when registering their national identity cards and national census,” their lawyer Dancun Okubasu said.

He argued: “Failure to recognize the Lembus as an official tribe in Kenya violates Article 45 of the Constitution which mandates the State to recognize and protect the family as a fundamental rights unit of the society and the necessary basis of the social order”.

The group has sued Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i alongside Attorney General Kihara Kairuki.

Lembus community lives in Baringo County. The group is estimated to be around 300,000, having about 60,000 voters.