Koitalel Arap Samoei: The Story of the Greatest Nandi Orkoiyot

Koitalel Arap Samoei: The Greatest Nandi Orkoiyot
Koitalel Arap Samoei was born in 1860, to Kimnyole Arap Turukat at Samitu in Aldai. He was the last-born of four sons and belonged to the Kaplechach age set. He was the closest to his father and had a great ability to understand prophetic signs as compared to his brothers.

At twenty-five years of age, Samoei succeeded his father as the Orkoiyot, the supreme spiritual and political leader of the Nandi people. The Orkoiyot was traditionally from the Talai Clan of the Nandi who were believed to have been picked by Asis (God), to deliver messages to the people.

Koitalel Arap Samoei prophesied about the coming of a black snake, spitting fire, which would pass through the land of the Nandi.

Not long after, the British approached Koitalel Arap Samoei demanding to be allowed to build the Kenya Uganda Railway through Nandi Land. But Samoei would not have strangers in his land. He rallied his men and fighting began. The Nandi were really good fighters, even in the face of British guns they did not back down.

Samoei was a strategic military leader, planning surprise attacks on the railroad workers and the British when they least expected. He resisted the British fearlessly and as if that was not enough, he stole rail construction materials and used them for making ornaments and more weapons.

For twelve years or so, the British could not capture Koitalel Arap Samoei nor stop the Nandi, who continued to humiliate them. Eventually, they called for a truce meeting to negotiate peace with Koitalel Arap Samoei. Each party was to come accompanied by five people.

Unknown to Koitalel Arap Samoei and his people, this was just a trick to entrap and harm him. Richard Meinertzhagen, a British Colonel had marched from Nandi Fort with eighty armed men, seventy-five of whom hid around the meeting place.

Koitalel Arap Samoei went to shake hands with the Colonel and was shot along with his men. Only one of Koitalel Arap Samoei’s men escaped to tell of the incident.

Having lost their greatest Orkoiyot, the Nandi could fight no more. This marked the end of the Nandi resistance. Building the railway continued uninterrupted through Nandi territory.

Today, there is a museum built in the Nandi Hills to commemorate Koitalel Arap Samoei and his effort.

Koitalel Arap Samoei’s legacy lives on:
Koitalel Arap Samoei was both a prophet and a military leader. Today we need people with such abilities to fight different battles – to fight poverty, disease, and environmental destruction.

The environment is the base of our economy and our life. To live, we need clean air, water, and productive land. To have clean air, water and productive land, we need to keep our environment functioning. Protecting forests, wetlands and other ecosystems is not just for wildlife – it is for our own benefit.