Chemwal people

Hollis (1905) noted that up till the mid-19th century, the Nandi referred to themselves as Chemwalindet (pl.Chemwalin) or Chemwal (pl. Chemwalek)^[1] while other Kalenjin speaking communities referred to the Nandi as Chemngal.^[2] However, Huntingford (1927) stated that his subsequent understanding was that the Nandi were known as Chemwal and that their country was known as Chemngal. Huntingford noted that at that time, the Nandi were still referred to as Chemwel by the 'Suk' and as il-Tengwal by the Maasai.^[3]

Following his Juba expedition, MacDonald (1899) noted of the 'Senguer' who previously 'dwelt on the Guash Ngishu plateau' stating that "As "l" and "r" are interchangeable, "Senguer" of the Juba expedition is evidently the same word as "Jangwel", a term which Mr. C. Hobley found was applied by the Nandi to designate their tribe".^[4]

At its largest extent, Chemngal covered the northern parts of Uasin Gishu, as well as parts of Elgeyo-Marakwet, Trans Nzoia and a southern section of West Pokot;

...Commences from Kiporoom River in Uasin Gishu District. It extends along Kapsumbeywet river through Ziwa (Sirikwa) centre, Moiben Posta and Kose hills in Uasin Gishu. From Kose hills it goes down to join Moiben river. The boundary goes up river Moiben to the confluence of Ko’ngipsebe and Kimowo streams. It turns eastwards to cover areas of Maron sub-location in Emboput location in Marakwet District. Turning to the west it then goes to Kamolokon along Marakwet/West Pokot and Marakwet boundary. From here it drops to Sebit, Somor, then to Kongelai and up along Swom river. From Swom river to the confluence of Swom and Cheptenden river. From Cheptenden river to the confluence of Cheptenden river and Moiben river where these two rivers confluence with Kiboorom.

Pokot traditions recorded by Beech (1911) point to a close association between the Sekker and the Chok community who occupied the Elgeyo escarpment that runs along the edge of the Uasin Gishu plateau. It is presently unclear whether the term Chemwal applied to both communities. He notes that the elders of Pokot at the turn of the 19th century averred that;

there always were two original Suk tribes living on the Elgeyo escarpment. The names of these two tribes were Chok or Chuk which is the name for a short sword like implement, and Sekker which means 'cowrie shells'

The Siger of Turkana tradition herded a distinctive type of long-horned black cattle that Lamphear postulates was the Sanga breed.^[7][8]

Oreet - social groupings similar in concept to clans seem to have played a role in the social organisation of the Chemwal. One of these 'clans' was known as the Kacepkai. This clan was displaced during the Turkana invasion of Moru Assiger and were said to have become the diviners of a number of different peoples in the Mt. Elgon region.^{[9]: 96 [10]}

Towards the end of the 18th century, a drought captured in folklore as the Aoyate - the long dry time, struck. It appears that the factors that resulted in famine combined to decimate Sengwer identity.

According to Turkana traditions recorded by Lamphear, the Chemwal identity was annihilated by a variety of factors related to the Aoyate drought. This famine seems analogous to one referred to by Krapf (1860) when he makes mention of a 'great famine of 1836'.^[11] He notes that Turkana traditions state that,

...there was a massive drought which afflicted much of the Rift Valley region. The Siger community was decimated and began to collapse. Some abandoned their mountain and fled eastwards, but ran into even drier conditions. [It] became dry and there was great hunger. The Siger went away to the east to Moru Eris, where most of them died of heat and starvation. So many died that there is still a place there called Kabosan ["the rotten place"]. Bands of Turkan fighting men forced other Siger northwards to the head of Lake Turkana where they formed the Inkabelo section of the developing Dasenech (also Merille) community. Still others were pushed back onto the Suk Hills to the south to be incorporated by the...Pokot as the ritually important Kacepkai clan. Many were assimilated by the Turkana where some became a new clan known simply as 'Siger', and the victors took possession of the grazing and water resources of Moru Assiger.

Lamphear's account of the conflict between the Turkana and Siger bear close similarity to Wilson's account of conflict between the Turkana and Maliri community. According to traditions recorded by Wilson (1970), the Jie advanced eastward and entered the present Karimoja territory at Adilang, an area that was at this time occupied by the Maliri. The nature of contact seems to have been hostile for the Maliri retreated eastwards toward the region of Koten Mountain where they stayed for a while. This state of affairs did not hold for long, for the people from the hill of Turkan, now calling themselves Turkana, broke away from the Jie at Kotido and started advancing eastward. This brought extreme pressure to bear on the Maliri at Koten, causing this group to break in two.^[13]

One group of Maliri, still known as such to the Karamojong but as Merille elsewhere, moved further eastward settling on the east of the Turkana escarpment. The other group, calling themselves Pokotozek moved south and arrived at Nakiloro, which lies on the Turkana escarpment just north of the Moroto mountain, where they stayed for a short while before moving further south, proceeding down the eastern side of the Chemorongit and Cherangani mountains before finally branching off in the direction of Lake Baringo.^[13]

Both these traditions also bear similarity to a narrative that Emley recorded regarding Turkana expansion. He states that.

...the (Turkana) migration to the Turkwell was carried out by two forces-the Nithir and Ngamatak-but, on reaching this river, they realized the necessity for further division to enable one section to protect the country already conquered; and they decided that the Ngamatak should be split up in two separate sections, the one retaining the original name, the other becoming the Nibelai. As a result of this division...the Nithir, under Luguyin, (worked) eastwards, and the Nibelai, under two leaders, Nakoritha and Loliokoli, (worked) southwards

In a later section he states "the Nithir, whose name is derived from ithiger (an ornament), are so called on account of their love for decoration. The Nithir adakari in Turkana lies north of Nibelai adakari. The Nibelai name is said to derive from tobil (to break) and ebelai (a curved fighting-stick), and that they were so named because they forged their way ahead, returning time and again with broken fighting sticks."^[15]

Lamphear's account appears to indicate some form of interaction with the Pokot, leading to the rise of the Kacepkai diviners. His account implies pressure but does not seem to suggest a conflict.^[12] His account are congruent with Pokot traditions recorded by Beech (1911) give an overall image of a community he refers to as pastoral Suk who appear to have assimilated a community, or at least part of a community known as Chok (Chuk or Suk) that previously occupied the Elgeyo escarpment.^[16]