Tachoni

The Tachoni is one of the tribes that occupy the western part of Kenya,its known for its gallant defense of the Chetambe in 1895 when resisting British rule. Tachoni people were masters at building forts such as Chetambe, Lumboka, and Kiliboti.^[1] It was their defiance of colonialism that led to the colonial government putting the entire region occupied by the Tachoni under administration of paramount chiefs drawn from Bunyala and Wanga communities. Sharing land with the Abanyala, the Kabras,^[2] Nandi, and Bukusu tribe. They live mainly in Webuye, Chetambe Hills, Ndivisi (of Bungoma County) Matete sub-county-Lwandeti, Maturu, Mayoyo, Lukhokho, Kiliboti, Kivaywa, Chepsai,^[3] and Lugari sub-county in Kakamega County. Most Tachoni clans living in Bungoma speak the ' Olutachoni dialect which is a hybrid of the luhyia language of the luhyia people. Since they lost their original dialect during the divide and rule system used by the whites to scatter them for being resistants to their colonialism, they had to find a way to interact with their new neighbors and thats why they're subsequently mistaken as Bukusus. They spread from Kakamega county to Trans-Nzoia County , webuye especially around Kitale, Tambach in Iten Nandi in areas like kabiyet and kapsisiwa, kericho and to Uasin Gishu County near Turbo, Eldoret.

Among the Tachoni clans are Abachikha -further divided into Abakobolo, Abamuongo, Abachambai,Abamakhanga, Abacharia, and Abakabini, Abamarakalu, Abangachi -who are further divided into: Abawaila, Abakhumaya and Abawele, Abasang'alo, Abasamo, Abayumbu (mostly around Webuye), Abaluu, Abarefu,Abanyangali,  Abamuchembi, Abamakhuli, Abasioya, Abaabichu,Abacheo, Abamachina,Abaengele, Abamutama, Abakafusi, Abasonge, Abasaniaka, Abaabiya also known as Abakatumi (Abamuumbwa, Abachikolati and Abamuruli), Abakubwayi,Abakamutebi, Abakamukong, Abamweya, Abalukulu,Abawande, Abatukiika, Abachimuluku.^[4] Note that the morpheme 'aba' means 'people'.

The Abakhusia/abasamo of Kabras are also Tachonis who speak Kikabras. Abayumbu and Abaluu are twin brothers, hence do not intermmary.^[5]

The community members trace their origin to a place called El-Matruh, Egypt (Misri), From Egypt, the followed the Nile river down into their present day region Kenya.^[6] Important areas on the Tachoni migration route include Sirikwa, which is referred to most by scholars to link the Tachoni and the Kalenjins ethnic groups.^[7]

It is important to note that, histiorically, the Tachoni people were known by different names. Some of the names include the Kitoki, Kitosh, Evekwe-those from the East, Sirikwa, and Tashone.^[8]

N/B Tachonis' are under a Nilo-cushitic group which includes their cousins the Nubians of the northern part of Africa.

Let's learn a little. Tachoni tribe stands as an independent tribe in Kenya. Mostly people mistaken it to a luhyia group since most of its occupants live in areas around Webuye in Bungoma county thus sharing a land with the luhyia groups especially the Bukusu and Kabras. Tachonis' are believed to have originated from El-Matru a region in Misri Egypt and migrated downwards following the Nile river due to a deadly attack that happened by their neighbors which lead to a great bloodshed.

On their way they met the kalenjin subtribes which they interacted and moved together via Ethiopia into Kenya. Upon reaching Kenya, they divided into groups which lead them to occupy lower western region as the Sabaots, Teuregs and some groups went at the slopes of mount Elgon while the other kalenjin subtribes went further to the regions of Uasin gishu which was by thenn occupied by the Maasai people.

Later on, other tribes begun occupying the unoccupied regions in western region e.g the Tesos. During the onset of colonialism, they had gathered and multiplied further. So when the whites begun their rules, the Tachonis' resisted together with the Nandi tribe and some other tribes which lead to an intense fight. The fight lead to capture of some leaders e.g Koitalel arap Samoei of the Nandi, while the Tachonis' were subjected to a total brutal workforce. Their greeneries were burnt down, while some were killed. Leaders we're drawn as far as kisumu and other tribes like Kabras and wanga to rule over them. That was not enough. Their lands were taken by force and we're forced to flee and find refuge from other tribes. This means of divide and rule lead to the lose of their dialect and their lands to date. Most of the settlement schemes and forest reserves in the wide western region of Kenya were once the Tachoni lands. After independence, the government took all those white settlements and made them government properties thus leading to a total disettlment of the Tachoni people. That's why they lack their official lands as many other tribes in Kenya.

^ "About Tachoni People | The Web of God's Tachoni". olutachoni.com. 2018-02-01. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
^ Lihraw, Demmahom Olovodes (2010). The Tachon peoples of Kenya : history, culture and economy. Nairobi: PERC-PACE International. ISBN 978-9966-9670-1-5. OCLC 690905506.
^ "About Tachoni People | The Web of God's Tachoni". olutachoni.com. 2018-02-01. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
^ Lihraw, Demmahom Olovodes (2010). The Tachon peoples of Kenya : history, culture and economy. Nairobi: PERC-PACE International. ISBN 978-9966-9670-1-5. OCLC 690905506.
^ Lihraw, Demmahom Olovodes (2010). The Tachon peoples of Kenya : history, culture and economy. Nairobi: PERC-PACE International. ISBN 978-9966-9670-1-5. OCLC 690905506.
^ Lihraw, Demmahom Olovodes (2010). The Tachon peoples of Kenya : history, culture and economy. Nairobi: PERC-PACE International. ISBN 978-9966-9670-1-5. OCLC 690905506.
^ M., Nakitare, Maurice S. (1989). The origins, migration and settlement of the Tachoni : an account of oral traditions. University of Nairobi, Dept. of History. OCLC 654704400.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Lihraw, Demmahom Olovodes (2010). The Tachon peoples of Kenya : history, culture and economy. Nairobi: PERC-PACE International. ISBN 978-9966-9670-1-5. OCLC 690905506.

[1] "About Tachoni People | The Web of God's Tachoni". olutachoni.com. 2018-02-01. Retrieved 2023-02-07.

[2] Lihraw, Demmahom Olovodes (2010). The Tachon peoples of Kenya : history, culture and economy. Nairobi: PERC-PACE International. ISBN 978-9966-9670-1-5. OCLC 690905506.

[3] "About Tachoni People | The Web of God's Tachoni". olutachoni.com. 2018-02-01. Retrieved 2023-02-07.

[4] Lihraw, Demmahom Olovodes (2010). The Tachon peoples of Kenya : history, culture and economy. Nairobi: PERC-PACE International. ISBN 978-9966-9670-1-5. OCLC 690905506.

[5] Lihraw, Demmahom Olovodes (2010). The Tachon peoples of Kenya : history, culture and economy. Nairobi: PERC-PACE International. ISBN 978-9966-9670-1-5. OCLC 690905506.

[6] Lihraw, Demmahom Olovodes (2010). The Tachon peoples of Kenya : history, culture and economy. Nairobi: PERC-PACE International. ISBN 978-9966-9670-1-5. OCLC 690905506.

[7] M., Nakitare, Maurice S. (1989). The origins, migration and settlement of the Tachoni : an account of oral traditions. University of Nairobi, Dept. of History. OCLC 654704400.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[8] Lihraw, Demmahom Olovodes (2010). The Tachon peoples of Kenya : history, culture and economy. Nairobi: PERC-PACE International. ISBN 978-9966-9670-1-5. OCLC 690905506.

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