The story you are about to red is long but interesting.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, the Kipsigis had established
themselves as a "force to reckon with". one day the Kipsigis prepared a
great raid on the Gusii. Young boys were enlisted to drive the cattle
home, and women were also enlisted to carry away the captured stores of
food. The raiding party was headed by Malabun
arap Makiche from Sotik. At Buret, Chesengeny arap Kaborok and his
warriors joined the band. At Belgut more warriors joined. Most of the
young men were of the Kapkoimet age-set, while the older ones were Sawe"
the march, which started in the afternoon, reached Gusii
country at dusk. As they marched they were followed by a large number of
vultures - a sure sign of bad luck. Chesengeny tried to convince
Malabun to abandon the raid but Malabun would have none of it. In
Gusii-land the first phase of the raid (in Mugirango and Kitutu) was
successful, and they destroyed many Gusii villages, but then things
began to go wrong, Two leaders of the Kipsigis raiders disagreed, and as
a result one party returned home, while the other, led by Malabun Arap
Makiche, went on to raid the Luo.
Back in the hills the Gusii
were blowing their horns and drumming to summon all their warriors.
Knowing that the Kipsigis had crossed to Luo-land the Gusii laid a trap
for them. By the early hours of the morning the Gusii warriors were
lining the eastern edge of Manga Escarpment in ambush.
At dawn a
large "kelele" was heard, it was the Luo chasing the Kipsigis raiders.
As the Kipsigis started to ascend the escarpment along the valley of the
Charachani River, they fell upon the Gusii at Getwanyi in Kitutu. The
Luo arrived at the battleground when the fight had already started. With
both the Luo and Gusii at battle, and with the well laid Gusii ambush,
the Kipsigis force was practically wiped out. Very few managed to
escape. It is said that some of the survivors hid among the corpses of
their fellow tribesmen, others jumped into the rivers and hid in the
swamps until nightfall. During the nightfall they escaped back to
Kipsigis land.
So great was the loss of life that the Kipsigis
elders ordered the 'premature' initiation of young boys into
warriorhood, and encouraged young men to marry early so as to increase
the population of the tribe.
The Gusii, who had never before achieved such a victory, the Kipsigis call it Battle of Mogori.
