KENYA'S ANCIENT UTENSILS IN THE FACE OF COVID 19

Schools are reopening after the historic long holidays in Kenya, thanks to the un-visible enemy called COVID 19.Language teachers will read wild English compositions once they engage their pupils on what actually transpired during their longest Holidays –long holiday ever witnessed in the History of Education in Kenya! Most likely - the best composition will come from Cheruto,a class five pupil from Tuluongoi Primary School,Tenges Division in Baringo Central.The time she spend with her grand –mother Kobilo,and learnt how to make ‘’Kerebet’’,a once revered African plate used to serve food before Western Culture demanded that it should be discarded; just because Leaders like the Late Koitalel Arap Somoe of Nandi ate from a plate like that one!!!

Why should we just beat around the Bush?,Allow the Nation to hand over the micro phone to Kobilo Cheptoo of Tian Village,the African teacher .She will tell us how she has handled her pupil Jeruto,and taught her what real Pan Africanism is all about!!

The Class was ongoing when the Nation made a grand entry to the Switzer Land of Baringo ,its always cold here in Tuluongoi in and thankfully, the weather is just perfect for Kobilo to give her lessons. Cheruto is going through theory and her teacher’s serious face indicated that the ‘’pupil must give maximum attention’’ and see how a needle should work to ensure the safety of the user. In this class, the teacher spoke softly to her learner, telling her to observe, to observe and to observe more of what she Kobilo is doing!!! This class don’t demand social distancing!! You don’t know the Greatest Love in the African set-up, that between a grandmother, and her granddaughter!!!In Africa and among the Kalenjin,the production of this ancient utensils was purely a woman’s business- Girls would not become women without learning this art!

‘’Every morning, Cheruto and I go to the bushes in search for the raw materials used in making the African Plate’’Kobilo of the Sawe age set told BFN, revealing that her granddaughter Cheruto is a willing learner -having found enough time to spend with her when schools closed because of the COVID 19.In the bushes around Tenges and Lawina,Cheruto follows her grand mother and every time, they are armed with a sharp panga because they have to dig out the’ ’tap root ‘’of an indigenous climbing tree species called’’Tapa rar ye’’ in Tugen Language. The tap root of this ‘’Tapararye’’ is attached to a needle; and used as a thread to sew together some chippings from a bamboo stalk, and therefore; produce the’African Plate.

’’ called Kerebet. In Maasai ,its called ,’’Ol Ge-Beet and in Kipsigis,they call it ''Kisiet’’

.This African plate was popular among most Kenyan Pastoral Groups; but with the arrival of Western Civilization, its use became obsolete forcing its production to go down and more so; the technology to make such more plates is not popular any more, unless many girls like Cheruto are willing to learn this trade which according to Kobilo, can still be used to earn a living..

‘’I produce one Kerebet at a cost of Two Thousand Kenya shillings’’ Kobilo told BFN, revealing that she receives orders from some ‘educated Nairobi people’!!!

‘’Why are you selling this simple Items at such exorbitant prices?’’ BFN asked Kobilo and quickly, she said that apart from the fact that she enjoys the monopoly of knowledge in this trade, the knowledge she will pass to Cheruto; it takes one full month to produce one Kerebet and remember also, the Kerebet raw materials are becoming very scarce!!

‘’The Bamboo in the wild is diminishing at an alarming rate and also, the natural thread called Tabararye is also disappearing - it is the major food for the porcupine .I and the porcupine are in a serious competition, to see who will be the first to grab the Magic thread! Every time Cheruto and I go in search for the thread, we find out that the porcupine was already there ahead of us; and has dug out and eaten the succulent roots’’ said the old woman who also owns a mobile phone, to receive orders and constantly update her customers about the progress of their favorite African plates..

‘’Out of the sales; I will give some money to my student Cheruto to buy some books; and uniform for herself when schools re-open,i want her to know that she too can earn a living through this trade,once i Kobilo is no more''Kobilo told the interview but still unsatisfied, we requested to understand why some ‘’educated people ‘’buy this African plates, and which sometimes feature in some Nigerian witch craft Movies..

‘’Listen very carefully’’ Kobilo told the Nation ,some ''Wives'' in Baringo have experienced the importance of Kerebet in the business of Ugali eating and storage. Western Utensils currently used to store Ugali [Hot pot] have the habit of turning the Ugali into ‘’a sweaty mess’’; and no decent woman would like to bear the shame of presenting a ‘’sweating Ugali’’ to the father of her kids; unless she cares not about her ‘house’!!!....

In our Next Chapter, we will seek to Find and Interview The Baringo Kerebet Buyers, to see if they are Buying the Kerebets for the intended use; or for fun-to impress their white friends who visit them often in their Nairobi palatial homes ! Owning a Kerebet is one sure sign that You are an indigenous African ,or you just Visited Kenya!!!

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