Kalenjins are a cluster of tribes centered in Kenya. They have nine subgroups based on language and clan lineage. One of their subgroups is the Marakwet.
Kalenjin people speak Kiswahili and English in addition to their own language. In this case, the language of the Okiek is by the same name, Okiek.
Their ancestors arrived from the Nile River centuries ago. Each of the nine groups were assigned land that had access to the banks of the Kerio River. They used boundary stones to mark the divisions.
Okiek artistry produces a rich range of verbal art, oratory, and song as well as diverse material objects. Schools are poorly equipped, but attendance has increased since the late 1980s.
A handful of Okiek have now gone to secondary school, a few continuing to trade school or university. Okiek believe in a beneficent god (Torooret or Asiista) and ancestor spirits who can bring misfortune if they are forgotten or if wrongs are committed.
Major Okiek ceremonies celebrate stages of social maturation, including a headshaving ceremony where a child receives a new name, an ear-piercing ceremony at ages twelve to fourteen (now rarely practiced), and initiation into adulthood.
Ethnic religion is dominant, but they are about one-third traditional Christian.
The Okiek people are not highly literate, and many need to hear the gospel message in oral form. However, the full Bible is available in the Maasai language, and other resources such as the Jesus film are available. Workers are needed to take these resources to the people. The Christians among this people need to be discipled and challenged to reach others with the Gospel of Christ.
Pray for unity among the Christian believers among the Okiek people. Pray they will regularly fellowship together, and live holy lives. Pray for peaceful relations with other tribes in the area of the Okiek, and for improving living conditions.
Scripture Prayers for the Kalenjin, Okiek in Kenya.
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
