This is a stage whereby boys had successfully gone through
the circumcision trials and were now men who could marry and be admitted to
Gusii governing councils. Their education in the ways of men tactics of war was
not complete until they lived in ebisarate. Ebisarate were clan villages that
was scattered in all Gusii locations in which the cattle were kept and all
young men slept. No woman was allowed, except to bring food and to fetch milk.
The ebisarate were strongly fenced wattle and had moats around them and more often,
there was an outer fence.
Cattle were taken to the ebisarate by young men. Even young
men who had no cattle went to Ebisarate taking with them their spears and
shields. These young men were not only to learn and practice tactics of war,
but also to take part in cattle grazing. The middle aged and elderly men who
acted as leaders and educators also lived in Ebisarate. The young men were
taught about the importance of hard work, defense of their group, grazing
cattle, how to make shields and spears and how to use them.
Because these young men who live in Ebisarate were many
ranging from 20-30, the cattle were grazed in rotation. The youth and the group
of youths should have their turn. At the end, good grazers were rewarded by
being given enough amaguta (This is a cream from the cow’s milk) and each
received meat from a slaughtered cow which he took home to their parents. The
quantity of Amaguta and meat that was given to each young boy was governed by
his ability toward the understanding the rules of Egesarate especially co-
operation.
These young men were instructed that to succeed in life,
they have to Co- operate in defending their cattle, their clan and the nation
incase of any invasion They were instructed that co-operation was necessary in
building Ebisarate to the Gusii activities such as agricultural work and
building houses that was an extension shown by their parents in amasaga,
ebisangio and ebibosano. All these meaning a group of people performing cooperation
together.
If the young boys were disobedient in following up the rules
of egesarate (that is any of the young boys) he could be denied his share of
milk, meat and Amaguta even if these items were produced by his own cow.
Story By
Daniel Momanyi Ogondo,
NMK Main Library
&
Stella Nyambariga (NMK
Planning)
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