Elmoro/ Elmolo

El moro is the smallest tribe in Kenya. They are believed to have originated from either Somalia or Ethiopia. They currently live in northeastern Kenya, around the south eastern shores of Lake Turkana at a place called the Island of Ghosts. Lake Turkana has the largest population of crocodiles in Africa. It is known to be the source of Nile crocodiles and it is the world’s largest desert lake. The El moro live in two villages called Anderi and Illah. They are Kenya’s remaining hunters and they mainly hunt for water species in Lake Turkana.  

Language

The El moro mainly speak Maa (in the Nilotics group), followed by Swahili. Very few speak El molo, which is mainly spoken by the elders. English is also spoken, mainly by the

Culture

There has been a lot intermarriage between the El moro and their neighboring tribes, the Turkana and Samburu. Many have adapted the way of life of the tribes they intermarried with. Their dressing style is like that of the Samburu tribe. They live in rounded huts, usually built of grass and dried wood.

Religion

Their main religions are Christianity

Economy

They depend on fishing, both for subsistence and commercially. Fish such as the Nile perch make up a large portion of their diet. They also hunt animals that live in or around water like crocodile and hippopotamus.

The El molo are known as one of the few tribes in the region that rely on fishing rather than raising livestock. The term El molo has developed this specific meaning in the languages of other tribes. For example, in the Masai language El molo refers to people who do not use cattle as their source of income. In the Samburu language El molo means people who eat fish.

Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the El moro/ El molo.

Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the web address of this page.

Sources

enhols.com

  Kenya Safari Guide; People of Kenya, El molo Tribe of Kenya. Electronic Document,

  http://www.enhols.com/kenya_safari/people/el-molo/ accessed October, 2009.

Frantisek Staud

  PhotoStaud travel &; Stock photos: world/Africa/Zambia.

  Electronic Document, http://www.photostaud.com/africa/zambia/ accessed October, 2009.

Lafforgue Eric

  Tribes; El Molo Tribe woman - Kenya. Electronic Document,

  http://www.aptribes.com/blog/el-molo-tribe-woman-kenya/ accessed October, 2009.

Soft Kenya

  Kenya Tribes: El molo Tribe, Facts About The El Molo Tribe. Electronic Document,

  http://www.softkenya.com/kenya-tribes-people-culture/el_molo-tribe-kenya.htm accessed October, 2009.

Written by Esther Nalubwama, 2009