4.00
a.m
Cow-bells outside
An occasional howl
Everything is peaceful
The village is calm and sleepy
5
a.m
Mothers milking cows at cow-sheds
The low of cows
Life is catching up
The village is waking up
7
a.m
Basking in the sun, taking tea
Counting cows and seeing them off
These cows needs to be rid of ticks
Time they were taken for cattle dip
9
a.m
Busy brushing teeth with kamsityan
Singing songs of my bull
The cows are grazing
It is me, my cows and my world
I am all peaceful
10
a.m
Gathered at baraza
Chief has a message
From serikali
Half asleep, resting my head on ng’achar
Looks like I will spend the whole day here
“Supay Kokwo,”
Kirwokin greets
“Mmmmh,” we respond
“Bad news people, you stole from Turkana
It is in K.B.C and everywhere
I am in hot soup”
Age-old animosity
Tired culture
Spoilt image
Time folks went to school
Stopped this polygamy circus
Changed from nomadism to “somadism”
It is crazy!
1
p.m
Still half-awake, half-asleep under oron tree
Fellow old man is telling me how he first tasted
rice
At the D.C’s compound
Then we hear a case of stolen donkey
Most complicated case
We listen on and on and on
5
a.m
I sprint from the baraza
Cut through thorn trees and shrubs
To go look for my cows
I pass through the market-place to buy tobacco
To keep the nostrils of an old man busy
Then I drive my cows home
Whistling and singing my bull songs
7
p.m
Seated at the aperit
With fellow old men
Fire lit to scare away witches
And to keep the stomach of old men
Warm and cared-for
We keep our guns at the ready
And sleep in the cold
Lorot Son of the Hills’ Notes
Kamsityan- A traditional toothbrush from a tree
branch mostly from select trees.
Baraza- a Public gathering where information to the
community is disseminated; a Kiswahili word.
Serikali- Kiswahili word for government.
Ng’achar-A Pokot traditional stool.
Supay kokwo- A form of Pokot greeting especially
when addressing a large gathering of people.
Kirwokin- Pokot name for a chief.
Oron- a Tarmarind tree, most Pokot gatherings in
Kacheliba are done under this tree.
Aperit- A resting place for Pokot men outside in the
compound where fire is lit and from which they keep watch of their cows.
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