Meet a Tribe In Kenya With Only 99 Members Because A Person Dies When a Baby is born
The EL MOLO, known as the hunters of the Jade Sea is one of the over 70 tribes in Kenya, mainly dwelling in a small village on the shores of Lake Turkana in the south of Loiyangalani at Masarbit south district of Kenya’s northern Eastern Province. They are also known by other names, including Elmolo, Dehes, Fura-Pawa and Ldes.
The El Molo historically spoke the El Molo language as a native language. It belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family.
According to Ethnologue, among other sources, the El Molo language is nearly extinct; indeed, there may already be no remaining speakers of the language. Most group members have now adopted the Nilo-Saharan languages of their neighbours.
The El Molo language has no known dialects. It is most similar to Daasanach.
The El Molo tribe is believed to have migrated from Ethiopia around 1000 BC. Over time, they intermarried with other groups, such as the Samburu and Turkana, so most of the current population is mixed.
Although many customs and traditions remain, the language spoken by the El Molo people is now endangered. Most of them now speak the Samburu language instead.
A unique aspect of the El Molo culture is their belief about birth and death.
Once a baby is born, the elders of the tribe are consulted and those who have lived long and fulfilling lives are chosen to die. They accept to die in good fate because it’s deemed to be a recognition of the life cycle and respect for their ancestors who passed on the customs and beliefs to them.
According to them, the spirits and the cosmos guide them in deciding who dies next. It is unclear if the chosen people die naturally or how they give way to the new babies.
