Emet (geographic region)

Emet (or Em) is a Kalenjin term for the largest recognized territorial division within the Kalenjin society of pre-colonial Kenya. The word Emet in contemporary Kalenjin as used to denote a country derives from this term.


Emet refers to the land or country occupied by the Kalenjin tribe of Kenya. Emet is derived from Kemet a reference to country by the ancient Egyptians. The Kalenjin are Highland Nilotes of Kenya whose mainly economic activiy if agricultural i.e crop cultivation and animal rearing. The Nilotes emigrated from Egypt and southerly followed the River Nile in quest for arable vast land as Agricultural around the Nile River in Egypt was slowly dwindling due to rising population and unfavorable weather conditions.

Function

The traditional Kalenjin geographic division, emet, primarily served as a territorial identity, it had limited military mobilization capacity and played no administrative functions.[1]

Current use

In contemporary Kalenjin lexicon, the word emet is used to mean country, e.g. emet'ab Kenya where 'ab is of.[2]

References
  1. Hollis A.C, The Nandi - Their Language and Folklore. The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1909, p.4 & p.48
  2. The Kalenjin are on trial, not Sang, says lawyer online
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