It is transcribed here as Hollis heard and transcribed it in 1909. This is crucial since this was one of the first external contacts in Nandi. This means the tale or rather the tellers had yet to be influenced by Western religion and way of thought, which has tended to cause revisions of folk tales.

The first man who practiced circumcision in Nandi is said to have been one Kipkenyo, who came from a country called Do, and who after staying on the hills called Tuluet-ap-Seike and Tuluet-ab-Rir, passed through the Angata nanyokie, and settled in the Kakipoch division of Nandi. In those days Nandi was known as Chemngal, a name which is still used by the Elgeyo and other allied tribes when referring to the Nandi country and people.

The story goes that Kipkenyo had a number of brothers and sisters who all died when they reached puberty, so Kipkenyo decided when he had a number of children of his own to 'change' them all at this age. He therefore circumcised them, and as none of his children died, the Nandi followed his example, with the result that circumcision became general.

- *own emphasis

Numerous studies have shown the efficacy of Kalenjin folktales in capturing history over long periods of time. The challenge is whats called telescoping, events from eons ago sounding like they occurred just yesterday, This therefore is an attempt to as it were, peer back in time through that very telescope.

The first man who practiced circumcision in Nandi is said to have been one Kipkenyo,...

This defines the person as a man called Kipkenyo. If we could stick a tab here, 

Now let us look at Kipkenyo's route to Nandi.

(Kipkenyo) came from a country called Do...

This sentence seems to indicate that the immediately prior to arriving in Nandi, Kipkenyo lived or was at Do. Now, Do or Tto in Kipsigis and Nandi folklore is a place near lake Baringo that they claim to be their place of origin. Within the context of the narrative of origin

It was at Lake Baringo where the Tugen separated from the Nandi and the Kipsigis. This was during a famine known as Kemeutab Reresik, which means, famine of the bats. It is said that during this famine a bat brought blades of green grass which was taken as a sign of good omen signifying that famine could be averted through movement to greener pastures. The Tugen moved and settled around Tugen Hills while the Kipsigis and the Nandi moved to Rongai area. The Kipsigis and Nandi are said to have lived as a united group for about a century but eventually were forced to separate due to antagonistic environmental factors. Some of these were droughts and invasion of the Maasai from Uasin Gishu.


This thus seems to indicate that Kipkenyo came from the settlement known as Tto near Lake Baringo. If this was as part of the wider Kalenjin migration then it could not have been the same individual since there were a couple of centuries between the settlement at Tto and the settlement of Nandi. In that case, could it be that the reference is to the bearers of Kipkenyo's tradition? The next sentence seems to confirm this.

(Kipkenyo), after staying on the hills called Tuluet-ap-Seike and Tuluet-ap-Rir,...

This seems to be where the story starts. Kipkenyo stayed on a hill called Seike, and a hill called Rir. If we can look back at the broader narrative of origin for clues as to the locations of these hills.