Historical Challenges and Migration in the Kerio Valley

By William Kiptoo

The Kerio Valley basin in Kenya has endured a series of environmental hardships over the years, including severe droughts and devastating floods that have shaped the lives and movements of its inhabitants.

One of the most catastrophic droughts in the region’s history was the Kiptabis drought of 1894, which caused widespread suffering and displacement among local communities. This was followed by the Kiplelkowo drought and famine of 1942/43, which had a profound impact on the Keiyo, Marakwet and Pokot people.

The prolonged dry spell forced many Keiyo people to migrate to the southern highlands near Chepkorio in search of food and pasture. During this period, they entrusted some of their livestock to others under a shared ownership arrangement. However, due to the strong bonds of friendship and shared hardships, some creditors either forgave the debt or simply failed to reclaim their animals.

In 1961, the region faced yet another crisis, this time in the form of severe floods that triggered landslides along parts of the escarpment. As a result, many Keiyo people were forced to migrate once again, moving eastward into Tugen land across the Kerio River or westward to the highlands. The Kerio River, which frequently flooded, posed a major challenge for the Keiyo, as swimming was not a common skill among them. Those who could swim used specific shallow crossings to navigate the swollen river safely.

The mass migration to the Western highlands was further driven by the departure of colonial white farmers from the Uasin-Gishu district in the early 1960s. Between 1962 and 1969, the Keiyo population in the Kerio Valley declined by 12%, while their numbers in Uasin-Gishu surged by 41% by 1969. This shift was largely motivated by the search for better living conditions and an escape from the persistent food shortages that had plagued the Kerio Valley for decades.