Koitaleel Arap Samoei (c.1870 - 19 October 1905) was an

Orkoiyot The Orkoiyot occupied a sacred and special role within the Nandi and Kipsigis people of Kenya. He held the dual roles of chief spiritual and military leader, and had the authority to make decisions regarding security particularly the waging of war. ...

who led the

Nandi Nandi may refer to: People * Nandy (surname), Indian surname * Nandi (mother of Shaka) (1760–1827), daughter of Bhebe of the Langeni tribe * Onandi Lowe (born 1974), Jamaican footballer nicknamed Nandi * Nandi Bushell (born 2010), South Afri ...

people from 1890 until his death in 1905. The Orkoiyot occupied a sacred and special role within the

and Kipsigis people of Kenya. He held the dual roles of chief spiritual and military leader, and had the authority to make decisions regarding security matters particularly the waging of war and negotiating for peace. Arap Samoei was the supreme chief of the Nandi people of Kenya. He led the

Nandi resistance The Nandi Resistance was a military conflict that took place in present-day Kenya between 1890 and 1906. It involved members of the Kalenjin ethnic group, mainly from the Nandi section, and the British colonial administration. The close of the 19 ...

against

British colonial rule The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

Early life

Samoei was born to Kimnyole Arap Turukat at Samitui in Aldai. He was the last of four sons and belonged to the Kaplelach age-set group of the Nandi. Even though he was the youngest, he was reportedly close to his father and displayed the greatest ability in understanding prophetic signs.

Kimnyole Kimnyole Arap Turkat (c.1840s -1890) was the Nandi Orkoiyot who predicted the arrival of Europeans ("the white tribe") and the railways ("the Iron Snake"); two events that were to forever alter the history of the Nandi. He is noted for the prophesi ...

, who is said to have predicted his death, reportedly summoned his four sons as he saw his time approach and asked them to consult traditional brews in a pot. Samoei, upon gazing into the pot, drew his sword in protest having perceived the coming of the Europeans. Kimnyole sensed danger in his son's bravery and out of concern for his safety, sent Koitalel's three siblings to live among the Kipsigis while Samoei was asked to go and live among the

Tugen people The Tugen are a sub tribe of the Kalenjin people alongside the Nandi, Kipsigis, Keiyo, Pokot, Marakwet, Sabaot, Ogiek, Lembus and Sengwer sub-tribes. They occupy Baringo County and some parts of Nakuru County and Elgeyo Marakwet County ...

Ascension to Power

After the death of

, a faction of Nandi people sent for Koitalel who had already taken refuge among the Keiyo people. Koitalel's brother, Kipchomber Arap Koilege, also laid claim to Nandi leadership, leading to a succession dispute. Factions formed around the two aspirants and minor skirmishes took place between their supporters but this did not extend to full scale war. The dispute ended with the defeat of Kipchomber Arap Koilege in 1895, after which he fled to the Kipsigis with his supporters, becoming the first Kipsigis Orgoiyot. Koitalel was appointed successor to his father,Kalenjin Online
Talai Family and Koitalel Arap Samoei
/ref> and was made Orkoiyot in 1895.EastAfrican, December 5, 2008

/ref> When the British colonial government began building the Uganda Railway through the Nandi area, Koitalel led an eleven-year resistance movement against the railway.

Assassination

To end the resistance, intelligence officer Richard Meinertzhagen invited Koitalel to a peace truce meeting after leading a rebellion against the colonial invasion of the Nandi. The peace meeting was to be held at 11:00AM on Thursday, October 19, 1905. Suspecting that he would be killed as his father

had foretold, Samoei instructed Meinertzhagen to come with five companions to meet him at Ketbarak (present-day Nandi Bears Club). Samoei was to come with five foretellers. Contrary to the agreement, Meinertzhagen marched from the fort at Kaptumo with 80 armed men, 75 of whom hid near the venue of the meeting. It is reported that when Koitalel stretched his hand to shake hands with Meinertzhagen's, he killed Koitalel with a shot at point blank range. This precipitated the end of the

Nandi Resistance The Nandi Resistance was a military conflict that took place in present-day Kenya between 1890 and 1906. It involved members of the Kalenjin ethnic group, mainly from the Nandi section, and the British colonial administration. The close of the 19 ...

Succession

He was succeeded by his brother, Kipeles Arap Kimnyole (aka Tamasun),Hollis A.C, The Nandi - Their Language and Folklore. The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1909, p. 50 while his son,

Barsirian Arap Manyei Barsirian Arap Manyei (born close to 1894 – 10 April 1974) was the last widely recognized Nandi Orkoiyot and Kenya's longest serving political detainee. Early life Barsirian was born to Koitalel arap Samoei in 1894 in Samitui, part of present ...

(born 1894), would later become the Nandi leader from 1919 until 1922 when he was detained by the British colonial government. Barsirian was not released until 1964, making him the longest-serving political prisoner in Kenyan history.

Legacy

Koitalel has been immortalised as a national hero and a legendary leader among the Kalenjin community. A

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...

has been built for Koitalel Arap Samoei in

Nandi Hills, Kenya Nandi Hills is a town in Nandi County, Kenya and also forms a constituency by itself. The name also refers to the general area of Nandi County, where the urban settlement is located. Location Nandi Hills is located in a highland area of lush gr ...

. Construction of the Koitaleel Arap Samoei University by the national and local government in collaboration with the University of Nairobi is currently ongoing in Mosoriot and

. The Koitaleel Samoei Secondary School situated in Nandi Hills town is named after him to commemorate his leadership.

References