Many centuries ago, the Iteso occupied the lands in present day southern Sudan. This community consisted of fierce warriors, diviners, and community members who were always in search of greener pastures, and as was the case in those times, migration was part of the cultural way of life.
When the time came for the Iteso to relocate to a new home, they entrusted field marshal Oduk to lead them to the new settlement. The migration was both aggressive as well as extensive; the Iteso with their livestock faced several threats along the way, from diseases to raids, but they did not falter. With Oduk as their leader, and his prophetess wife Among’in as their seer, they were prepared for the impending barriers in their journey and sojourns. They settled in Uganda.
During the migration and settlement, Oduk organised the Iteso into territorial units called Itemwan – fireplaces: the largest political units for defense led by a war leader chosen by Oduk himself. This tradition was carried out even after Oduk’s demise. The Itemwan proved their valiance in battle. They are said to have battled the likes of the Ababukusu, the Abagishu, the Karamajong, and the Sabaot, all of who were some of the best warriors of the time. But these successes on the battlefield were also as a result of Among’in’s power that helped the Iteso prepare well in advance.
In due time, this #KeCommunity saw the need to move once again. Oduk lead them from Uganda to the western highlands of what would later be mapped as Kenya, and they arrived in 1850.
It goes without saying that despite the battlefield triumphs and successful migrations, the Iteso still experienced loss of their community members. The community had rich cultural practices, and Oduk is said to have implored his community members to believe in a number of divinities. There were the Akuj, Ajokin, and Edeke divinities, each with a different feature. The Ipara were the spirits of the dead, and it was mandatory that they be appeased through offerings of food and drink. If this wasn’t done, certain community members would become possessed or harmed in one way or the other. It was also around this time of Oduk’s leadership that the Iteso began practicing a death rite that involved exhuming bodies after a certain number of years. This was done to ‘cool’ the skeletons and make them more kind to the living. These practices made funeral rites important in Iteso traditional life, and because of Oduk’s great leadership, the Iteso people that have come after his death believe that they are all sons and daughters of Oduk and his wife Among’in.