During the last thirty years of the 19^th century, the Nandi became the most powerful people in western Kenya.

They were carrying out raids with the aim of getting more cattle rather than more territory. Their rise as a military power was largely due the decline of the Masai power.

In 1870s after the Masai civil wars, the Nandi defeated the Kwavi and the Purko. By 1880s, they were raiding all their neighbours except their Kipsigis cousins.

Political organisation

The Nandi operated a clan system which was divided into age grades, each political unit was made up of several clans and was administered by a councils (Kok).

There were several types of councils. The principal ones were the clan council, the sectional council which represented many clans.

These age sets formed an age grade and the junior grade constituted the warrior class of society.  The legal system was administered by the councils who advised and judged on crimes and disputes.  A section of lawyers also advised the elders of the councils.

The adoption of a new centralised leadership position, the Orkoiyot was another factor strengthening the Nandi power.

He organised, co-ordinated and supervised the Nandi military efforts against the Bantu neighbours and the Masai.

They were consulted on matters concerning war, planning, circumcision, and transfer of power from one set to another.

The legal system was administered by the Kok who advised and judged on crimes and disputes.

A group of lawyers known as the Kiruogik also advised the elders of a Kok.

Generally, it is this clan system of the Nandi that accounted for its social and political stability and was able to create a strong and formidable armed force.

Social organisation

Initiation ceremonies were highly respected among the Nandi.  Men were initiated during adolescence and formed closely riot age groups.  Initiations occurred at intervals of five years.

Age grade, were of a cycling type they were eliminated number of named grades.  And when the last grade had been formed, the next one adopted the name of the first in the series.

There were seven named age grades which succeeded one another every fifteen years and a single full cycle was completed every 105 years.  This system produced social stability and a strong armed force for the society.

The Nandi honoured and respected religious powers of prophet Orkeiyot.  These were men believed to possess super natural powers which could work either for good or evil.  They were consulted on military strategy and natural calamities like drought.

Economic organisation

The Nandi were originally hunters and fruit gatherers.  They domesticated dogs, made poisonous arrow heads and bows, spears and their trapping methods were very sophisticated.

Later the Nandi took up Pastoralism cattle were kept for milk, meat, blood and were also given as gifts during marriage.  They also kept goats and sheep.

Cultivation was of secondary importance among the Nandi.  Even though they enjoyed a variety of vegetables and cereals which were grown on large scale most especially by women.

The Nandi also took up trade with neighbouring communities.  They bartered their animal products, pottery and iron implements for the products they did no produce.