Nayece

Biography

Nayece is the legendary matriarch of the Turkana people, revered as the ancestral mother from whom the entire Turkana nation descends. According to Turkana oral tradition, Nayece was a young woman who became separated from her Jie community in present-day Uganda while following a wayward bull into an uninhabited valley. In this new land, she encountered a man named Ekitoe, and together they became the founding parents of the Turkana people. Some versions of the tradition say Nayece was drawn to the new territory by the abundance of wild fruits, particularly the edible berries of the esekon tree, which sustained her during her early days of separation. The land she discovered, the harsh but resource-rich semi-arid region around Lake Turkana, became the homeland of the Turkana. Nayece is credited with establishing the early Turkana customs related to livestock husbandry, food preparation, and family structure. Her story establishes the Turkana's historical connection to the Jie of Uganda and explains the migration that brought them to their current homeland in northwestern Kenya. She is honored as the origin of Turkana resilience and adaptability in one of Africa's most challenging environments.