The presence of Saniaga in Tachon has widened the interest into the search of origins, migrations and settlements of this clan. Not to Saniaga's own benefit, but to the other clans of Maragoli (and related tribes) for it is now easier to understand the era when Murogori arrived at Maragoli Hills and where he came from.
In this article, comparing the chronicles of Demmahom, Osogo and Vries, oral interviews and cycling to places, we shall discover that Saniaga was long established as a clan before Maragoli tribe was founded and how Saniaga people are found not only among the Maragoli but also among the Bukusu, Tachon, Pokot, Keiyo, Marakwet and in other areas that this search is expected to also discover.
Saniaka /abaSaniaka/ is one of the 56 clans of Tachon. Tachon people were not quick to write and spread their history, they did not have a powerful politician in independent Kenya. They were overlooked, termed Bukusu, unsure whether they were Bantus or Kalenjin. All was not lost even now that a good number of Tachon people speak lubukusu language. Stories remained on the lips of elders. Clans kept touch, researchers as Demmahom would find what Osogo underresearched.
Tachon would be home if they were referred to as Azania. Not Nilotes, not Bantu in origin. Yet they also had interactions with Hamites and Cushites. There are hints that they belong to the indigenous Sirikwa people, a people who freely practiced nomad lifestyle, enjoying the vast stretch of Lake Turkana in the North to Lake Eyasi in the south and the expanse from far Eastern part of the great Rift Valley to the famous mountain, Elgon. This was during the 12th to 15th Century after which a Maasai warriordom sprung and they would be split.
It is documented that Tachon originated from Matruh (Maturu), a village in Egypt, near present Cairo. There at Maturu, they are described as 'a people of elegance and éclat, who lived in mud walled huts in providence, strength and peace,' who would lose Misri (name known for good fortune and news to human kind) out of jealousy from 'poor' (apostrophes are mine) invaders. Then a tale of bondage, a search for refuge in the South, down River Nile.
There is mention of Katuum (presently Khartoum) in Sudan and Dambach (reference to Tambach) in Ethiopia to stress their past dwellings. With mention of their first leader, Letia Keptaijon whom it is doubted was the start of the coinage, Tachon/Tajon/Tajooni. This is recorded to have been as early as 645 to 240 BCE.
Till 14th Century, the remnants, Tachon, occupied the present Bungoma County, a condensed group, a result of Maasai, Turkana, Samburu and Karamoja attacks over time, detached from other Sirikwa related people. Other clans (who fled with clan identities and not the Tribe tag) had already gone as far as interacting with the Luos. These tribes amalgamated some of the Tachon clans, linguistically conquering them but not culturally. The Tachon were speaking a language akin to Nandi till now – that would later be heavily diluted when Tachon clans came into contact with the Bantu. The Pokot, Elgeyo and Marakwet were friendlier, unlike the Maasai. There is Saniaka clan in the three communities.
The first Tachon group, running from Sirikwa, led by Munafwa, headed to Mt. Koyonjo, Elgon circa 1350 to 1360 ACE. AbaSaniaka is one of the clans; abaSonge, abaYumbu, abaHengele and others were in this group. Also called abaMwale by their neighbours. The second group, under Kimingich leadership headed to kapsenger. The third group, lead by Mason went to Sang'alo. Standing a top Sang'alo hill is a beautiful green stretch of land that must have called forth these clans to dominate further, South West. The fourth group had Nandi and Maasai offshoots who went as far as Ravine and Bomet. It should be noted that most of Luhya (a political rather than a social tag) clans are offshoots of Nilotes and other Sirikwa clans. Another major clan in Maragoli that comes from Tachon is abaYonga /avaYonga/.
During migrations, Mwanzi denies the Migration Vein Theory in his book, The History of the Kipsigis. I agree with him. That over the years, tribes migrating and interacting with others, there are changes that over time do overtake founding tags. That Sirikwa /Xirikwa/ are no longer known so. We do not speak of a tribe back in time and on a straight, forward it to today and add on it, considering the lack of writing and archiving civilization. The acephalous nature of our communities added to that, with no kings/leaders to base time, history and propagation of identities. The Tachon have a guinea fowl as their totem. The Saniak of Pokot have a red ant. A vulture is mentioned by Vries. In Elgeyo, it is a Monkey. And a bee for a Saniaka/Saniago subclan. In Maragoli it is a Monkey. Saniaga sub-clans in Maragoli were resisted as divisive and would sooner challenge exogamy. We have abiSimo and abaKisila in Webuye who are sub-clans of abaSaniaka in Tachon as a representative of continuum regroupings.
It so with Maragoli now. A geographical area with names of places that have nothing to do with the people or the lulogoli language. A people whose ancestor, Murkal, a family that came up from the interaction between people of Osogwony – the Kussien and the Tachon. The Wambilianga and Mabia sect of the Tachon are the ones that joined Gusii (Oswogony) at Samo rock, leaving behind brothers Waliaro, Chesambili and Sioyo who founded (were of) abaSaniaka clan. Other tribes that were being formed at this juncture, by new borns and accumulation/amalgamation/diffusion of clans are the Kuria, Suba, Haya and Ziba. Because we have Murkal as the son of Namchabo. Namchabo the son of Samoywa. Samoywa the son of Kimakwei. Olu Tuchoi the son of Saniaka. Saniaka that Wambilianga and Amabia are of. It would suggest that Saniakas (or the newly branded Saniaga) are the fathers of Murkal, the father of Murigo. Murigo the person who lead vaRogori /abaLogoli/ to their recent main dispersal point, Maragoli Hills. If not, then this is the time that the Saniaga of Maragoli started their brotherhood stay, to present, circa 1560 ACE.
The other theory, chronicled by Osogo is that the abaLogoli, abaGusii, abaSuba and abaTende (Kuria) are from the abaSoba/abaKhasoba group of Bantu. The Abasoba first lived on Mount Elgon before moving to Sigulu island from where the dispersals took place, abaLogoli arriving at the present land via present Maseno. He goes forward to suggest that the abaNyore of Vihiga County are the Abenge, Bunyoro splitters from Uganda. With only abaMuli and abaSikaami clans as main ones, the rest are sub-clans while the rest new clans that occupy the same geographical location with them.
This article does not feature the Lwo /Luo/. Which we did in other articles. And expected to be built upon with increased efforts to search for this information.
-/With Thanks
saniaga.org
saniaga.blogspot.com
info.saniaga@gmail.com
facebook.com/saniaga.org 
The migratory path from Misri and interactions with Nilotes and Siri kwa very similar to Bukusu. Bukusu interactions with Bayumbu (tachoni) is well recanted in stories (Kitimule rediscovered Tachoni as Bukusu cousins left behind after dispersal from Embayi, and their culture more influenced by Kalenjin). I am convinced that these two are of the same kind.
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