In every society, there is always a need to believe in a supernatural being who people seek in times of trouble and celebrate in times of joy.
The coming of the Europeans to Africa wiped out African gods and replaced with one God, whom people now worship.
The Kalenjins had their own god, Asisi or the sun, who they prayed to and asked to watch over people as they went about their activities.
Looking at Asisi from the scientific perspective, the Kalenjins were spot on in worshipping the sun.
First of all the sun is the centre of the universe. The revolution of the earth around the sun brings about seasons, which determine the time to plant and the time to harvest.
Kalenjins also looked at the sun to determine time. In a time where watches were a myth, the sun provided a way of knowing the time.
A close examination of the sun will actually show that it is the centre of everything. Without the sun life would be difficult or wouldn’t exist at all.
The sun heats up water bodies, upon which vapour rises to form clouds. Thereafter, it condenses to form rain, which people use to plant crops.
Plants need the sun to photosynthesize, thereby growing and becoming food which the people eat for survival. The plants also produce oxygen in the process of photosynthesis.
Animals depend on vegetation as their source of food which is very vital in supporting the ecosystem. Most of these animals provide food to man.
The sun can also be dangerous, as seen with the destruction of the ozone layer. The advent of industrialization has brought about climate change. This is a challenge the world is currently trying to solve through reduction of carbon emissions.
Therefore, the sun is the custodian of the universe for man. The Kalenjins were quite right in having it as their god because it controls the universe in more than one ways.
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