18/08/2023
Chronology of the Sabaot History and the "Land Dilema". By Gregory Ngeywa
THE COMING OF WHITES ~ DISPLACEMENT OF SABAOTS:
Who are the Sabaots : In brief, we are the original indigenous natives of the present day Trans-Nzoia region before the advent of the white settlers. We occupied Mt. Elgon including its slopes, forests, caves, adjoining plains of Bungoma, Trans-Nzoia as far as Cherangany Hills for thousands of years.
Other names used to describe the Sabaots are: Elgon Masai or Maasai/ Elgon/ Elgoni /Elgonyi / El Kony/ Dorobo/Goni/Konyi/ Kony/Koony_Sabaot.
Our predicament started in 1884/85 during the Berlin conference in Germany. There was Scramble and Partition of Africa for the Europeans.
1895: The British East African Protectorate (Kenya) was declared. From then on there was systematic land grabbing of the Kony (Sabaot) ancestral land by the colonial government using their own bad laws, which also continued after independence.
1899: Introduction of Tax (Chicken, Goats and Hoes)
1900: Colonial Crown Lands Ordinance for European Settlers
1901: Railway Reaches Kitalale (Kitale)
Colonial settlers sent to scout for land in Trans-Nzoia
1902: Eastern Province of Uganda Protectorate was transferred to British East African Protectorate (Kenya) Western boundary bisecting Mt. Elgon into two, thus Kenya and Uganda.
1903: Kenya Colony was declared, thus Kenya became a British Colony
1909: Nandi Reserve, Lumbwa (Kipsigis), including Trans-Nzoia were temporarily administered from Nyanza Province.
1910: Trans-Nzoia farms were surveyed under the acting D.C (Col. John O.F Watkins) -Mumias (North Kavirondo) – Nyanza Province.
1912: Hut Tax and Poll Tax Ordinance
The acting Mumias D.C was ordered to move out the Kony (Sabaots) from Trans-Nzoia to pave way for European settlers
H.C Hoeys and J. Kirk were the first European settlers in Trans-Nzoia.
Sabaots were a proud people, owning thousands of livestock. They were stubborn and were not ready to provide cheap labour to
