Within the Kipsigis community, the transition from childhood to adulthood was carried out through a series of rituals that lasted up to six months. During this time frame, referred to in local dialect as tumndo, the initiates were kept in seclusion and taught the secret rituals and customs of the community.
Tumndo was an annual event that was open to boys aged 12 through to 18. However, it was considered ill luck to conduct this ceremony on years when the Mimulopsis plant (setyoot) had flowered. This plant is native to the African tropics, and it was believed that anyone circumcised when its purple flowers were in bloom would fall ill and possibly die.
Before tumndo began, initiates built themselves individual huts a distance away from other houses in the village. On the eve of the ceremony, villagers would sing and dance to say goodbye to their children who were about to undergo the proverbial metamorphosis. Early the next morning, circumcision took place and the boys remained inside their newly constructed quarters for a month to heal. The circumciser otherwise known as motiryoot would check in frequently to see how the boys were healing, and food would be brought to them by select men.
In the second month, the initiates were allowed to move a bit more freely outside their huts but were to take great care not to be seen by women. They would disguise their faces in white clay so as not to be recognized. They practiced hunting together which taught them marksmanship and prepared them to become warriors.
Three to four months later, the next ritual of tumndo began. The initiates were taken to the river to wash up. At this point, a boy took on his father’s name by use of the word arap (son of) and ceased to be called by the name he was given at birth. For instance, a boy called Kimutai whose father was called Kiprotich became arap Rotich. Years later, his sons would undergo the same rituals to become arap Mutai. This marked the end of seclusion, and a party was held the next day to welcome the young men back to the community. During these festivities, the initiates wore a crown made of hide and decorated with cowrie shells (naaryet) as a sign of honour for finishing the ceremonial process.
Tumndo came to an end a few days later when the initiate’s head was shaved by his mother. This was the last time a mother would groom her son and this marked the release of the young man from his mother’s care.
Paukwa family, we turn the storytelling over to you. Share the initiation rites practiced by other Kenyan communities!