Transformation of Female Circumcision Among the Kipsigis of Bomet County: Kenya; 1945-2014
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TRANSFORMATION OF FEMALE CIRCUMCISION AMONG THE KIPSIGIS OF BOMET COUNTY: KENYA; 1945-2014 BY WERUNGA DAMARIS SIMULI C50/27101/2014 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS (HISTORY) OF KENYATTA UNIVERSITY. NOVEMBER, 2017 ii iii DEDICATION This thesis is a dedication to my parents who taught me that the best kind of knowledge is that, which is acquired for its own sake. It is also dedicated to my siblings who always reminded me that even the largest task can be accomplished when I take one step at a time. You have been a great source of motivation and inspiration. Your kindness and selflessness shan’t be forgotten. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This work would not have been possible without the support of several people. I wish to express my gratitude to all of them who were abundantly helpful and offered invaluable assistance, support, and guidance. I am grateful to the entire Kenyatta University fraternity for providing me an ample time and environment full of resourceful human kinds to assist during my entire studies. I would like to sincerely acknowledge my supervisors, Dr. Susan Mwangi Owino and Dr. David Okelo for their guidance and support throughout this study. I appreciate you two for being the ideal thesis supervisors. My vote of thanks also goes to Dr. Peter Wekesa Wafula for his sage advice, patient encouragement, guidance and insightful criticisms which aided my thesis in innumerable ways. I would also like to thank the entire Bomet County Commissioner’s office team who helped me trace respondents and the entire community for allocating their valuable time to be interviewed. Thanks to the entire staff of History, Archaeology and Political Studies Department for the love and hospitality they gave me during my entire Studies at Kenyatta University. Thanks to the chairman of the Department Dr. Washington Ndiiri for his support and encouragement. Thanks too to Dr. Pius Kakai, Julius Nabende, Danson Esese, Felistus Kinyanjui, Isaiah Oduor, and Kennedy Gitu for their input. Their comments and questions were very helpful in the completion of thisstudy especially at the time of proposal drafting. I learned a lot from their insights. My gratitude also goes to Madams Carol, Yvonne, and Margret for their kindness and friendliness towards me throughout my study. Your support for this project was substantially needed and deeply appreciated. v My sincere gratitude is also to my classmates at Kenyatta University for their assistance and motivation at various stages of my research, particularly Miss Catherine Bosibori Nyabwengi who was not only a classmate but was also my research assistant. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Grace Maina, Bernice Kalimi, Muthoni Esther, Irene Soy, Kiboi Kenneth, Mr. Maina, Albert Ochieng, Geoffrey Nyarieko and Hillary Kipng’eno who all gave me a helping hand and pieces of advice whenever I needed them. To all my friends, especially Reuben Ndung’u and Benedictor Nkirote, thank you for your encouragement in the many moments of need. Your friendship continues to make me complete. I thank my parents for their endless love and support throughout my life. Thank you both for giving me strength to reach this far in chasing my dreams. My brothers and sisters, aunties, uncles, and cousins deserve my earnest appreciations as well. Lastly, I would like to thank my editor and reviewer, Ms. Margaret Thare for her great effort in refining this work. Thank you, Lord, for your continuous presence in my life. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ............................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. DEDICATION ................................................................................................................. II ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................ IV TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................. VI ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ....................................................................... X OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS ............................................................ XI ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. XII CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY .................................................................................... 1 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM .................................................................................. 11 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ...................................................................................... 12 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................................. 12 1.5 RESEARCH PREMISES ................................................................................................ 13 1.6 JUSTIFICATION AND SIGNIFICANCE .......................................................................... 13 1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS ......................................................................................... 14 1.8 LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ....................... 17 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 17 1.81 Review of the related literature. ........................................................................ 17 1.82 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................................. 27 1.9 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................ 29 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 29 1.91 RESEARCH DESIGN ................................................................................................. 29 1.92 SITE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................ 29 1.93 TARGET POPULATION ............................................................................................. 30 1.94 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE ........................................................................................... 30 1.95 SAMPLE SIZE .......................................................................................................... 31 1.96 RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS/ DATA COLLECTION ...................................................... 31 1.97 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES .......................................................................... 32 1.98 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY .................................................................................. 32 1.99 DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION .................................................................... 33 1.910 DATA MANAGEMENT AND ETHICAL ISSUES .......................................................... 33 CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................ 34 2.0 CIRCUMCISION AMONG THE KIPSIGIS TO 1945 ........................................ 34 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 34 vii 2.1 THE SOCIO-CULTURAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION OF THE KIPSIGIS ......................................................................................................................... 34 2.1.1 Kipsigis migration and settlement .................................................................... 35 2.1.2 Economic organization ..................................................................................... 35 2.1.3 Political organization of the Kipsigis ............................................................... 36 2.2 CULTURAL PRACTICES AMONG THE NILOTIC SPEAKERS ........................................... 37 2.2.1 An Overview of the Nilotes’ Rites of Passage ................................................. 39 2.2.2 Socio-cultural organization of the Kipsigis ...................................................... 40 2.3 BEING A WOMAN AMONG THE KIPSIGIS .................................................................... 41 2.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF KIPSIGIS FEMALE CIRCUMCISION ................................................ 43 2.5 PREPARATION FOR FC AMONG THE KIPSIGIS ............................................................ 48 2.6 Rituals attached to Female Circumcision among the Kipsigis ............................ 49 2.6.1 Preparation (Rootyineet / Rootyineet-aap Laagok) .......................................... 49 2.6.2 The Yaatitaaet: Rooteet ceremony ................................................................... 50 2.6.3 The Yaatitaaet ceremony (The cut) .................................................................. 52 2.6.4 Seclusion (tyenjiinet) ........................................................................................ 54 2.6.5 Labeet-aap Euun (Cleaning of the hands) ........................................................ 58 2.6.6 Ketienjin ceremony .......................................................................................... 59 2.6.7 Winding up Seclusion and the ceremonies associated