Koitaleel Arap Samoei (c.1870 - 19 October 1905) was an Orkoiyot who led the Nandi people from 1890 until his death in 1905. The Orkoiyot occupied a sacred and special role within the Nandi and

Kipsigis Kipsigis may refer to: *the Kipsigis people of Kenya *Kipsigis language Kipsigis (or Kipsikii, Kipsikiis) is part of the Kenyan Kalenjin dialect cluster, It is spoken mainly in Kericho and Bomet counties in Kenya. The Kipsigis people are the m ...

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 The Nandi are part of the Kalenjin people, Kalenjin, a Nilotic tribe living in East Africa. The Nandi ethnic group live with close association and relation with the Kipsigis people, Kipsigis tribe. They traditionally have lived and still form the ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

. He led the Nandi resistance against British colonial rule.

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, 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

while Samoei was asked to go and live among the Tugen people.

Ascension to Power

After the death of Kimnyole, a faction of Nandi people sent for Koitalel who had already taken refuge among the

Keiyo people :''Keiyo may also refer to Keiyo, a district in Kenya, ''Keiyo Line'' a railway line in Japan or Elgeyo escarpment'' The Elgeyo (also known as Keiyo) are an ethnic group who are part of the larger Kalenjin ethnic group of Nilotic origin. They li ...

. 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 The Uganda Railway was a metre-gauge railway system and former British state-owned railway company. The line linked the interiors of Uganda and Kenya with the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa in Kenya. After a series of mergers and splits, the li ...

through the Nandi area, Koitalel led an eleven-year resistance movement against the railway.

Assassination

To end the resistance, intelligence officer

Richard Meinertzhagen Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen, CBE, DSO (3 March 1878 – 17 June 1967) was a British soldier, intelligence officer, and ornithologist. He had a decorated military career spanning Africa and the Middle East. He was credited with creating and ...

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 Kimnyole 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.

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 (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 Kalenjin may refer to: * Kalenjin people The Kalenjin are a group of tribes designated as Highland Nilotes and are descended from Maliri people ''(thus related to Daasanach of Ethiopia.)'' The Kalenjin are cousins with Datooga people of Tan ...

community. A mausoleum has been built for Koitalel Arap Samoei in Nandi Hills, Kenya. Construction of the Koitaleel Arap Samoei University by the national and local government in collaboration with the

University of Nairobi The University of Nairobi (uonbi or UoN; ) is a collegiate research university based in Nairobi. It is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution dates back to 1956, it did not become an independent univer ...

is currently ongoing in Mosoriot and Nandi Hills, Kenya. The Koitaleel Samoei Secondary School situated in Nandi Hills town is named after him to commemorate his leadership.

References