Senteu: The Great Warrior (Maasai community)

Senteu the great Maasai warrior was born in the mid 1800s and is remembered as the Shujaa (hero) whose birthright was stolen. Senteu and his younger brother Lenana (Olanana) were the sons of Mbatian, the greatest Laibon, spiritual leader, ever to rule in the Maasai nation and after whom the summit of Mount Kenya is named. The two brothers were from different mothers as Mbatian had two wives. The brothers grew up like other young boys, playing, herding their father’s goats and generally getting adventurous around the great savanna lands. Mbatian loved his sons and intended that Senteu, the older of the two, succeed him as the Laibon of the Maasai community.

Mbatian was getting old and sick. Knowing that his time was near he called all the elders from Matapato sub-district and prophesied to them “Do not move from your ancestral lands for I am about to die and I’ll send you cattle from heaven. If you move you will die of smallpox, your cattle will perish and you’ll have to fight a powerful enemy who will defeat you. My successor will be the son to whom I shall give the medicine man’s insignia. Obey him”.

Just before his death, Mbatian called Sentu’s mother, who also happened to be his most preferred wife. He gave her a message for Senteu. Senteu was to visit his father’s hut early the next morning to inherit the medicinal insignia and ritual power to lead the Maasai people. Senteu was also to receive a special iron bar or club from his father which signified his leadership role among the Maasai.

Now, it happened that Mbatian’s other wife, mother to Lenana, had hidden in the calf-shed and overheard the conversation. She and the son devised a strategy to steal the inheritance. The morning of the following day Lenana presented himself to his aged father’s hut and tricked him into thinking that he was Senteu. Mbatian’s eyesight was failing and he could not tell the difference. “Father I have come” Lenana said.

Mbatian mistook Lenana for his preferred Senteu and requested him to come closer to suck his tongue as was done in this traditional ritual. Lenana sucked off all the content of his father’s mysterious power into his system and officially received the secrets of his father’s craft.

Lenana walked out and a few minutes later, in came Senteu to his father’s dismay and shock, in a twisted case of the early bird catches the worm. Mbatian was categorical that Lenana was now too powerful for Senteu. He blessed Senteu and directed him to go lead the Loita (Iloitai) Maasai clan in an attempt to separate the two son’s area of jurisdiction and avoid internal wrangles.

Mbatian died shortly after. Upon his death Lenana was proclaimed the principal medicine man but his rivalry with his brother led to loss of lives in endless civil war that reduced the Maasai population by half.

Senteu was supported by the Loita clan and against Mbatian’s prophecy they opted to leave their ancestral land. Mbatian’s prophecy became like a dark cloud over their lives; they encountered diseases, their cattle perished and they faced the powerful Germans who defeated them. In 1902, Senteu begged his brother to allow him back into the land and peace was concluded between the two parties.

Bonus Information:
The Maasai community lifestyle is mainly pastoralism, which has been compatible with wildlife conservation. For example, traditionally the Maasai people did not eat wild animals. Today however, when there is human-wildlife conflict, pastoralists sometimes try to poison predators. Scavenging animals and birds such as vultures are also poisoned. Then we lose the crucial work they do of keeping the environment clean. Let’s recognize the traditional Maasai values of letting wildlife live!