According to Meinertzhagen, an attractive young virgin was allegedly sent by the Orkoiyot on October 12, 1905 at Nandi Fort as a peace offering.
Meinertzhagen recounts that when Sir Donald Stewart, Kenya Protectorate’s Commissioner died on October 1, 1905, shortly before the Nandi punishing expedition commenced, it was attributed to Koitalel’s psychic powers.
To capture and kill, Meinhertzhagen had at his disposal 7,648 soldiers, policemen, spies, Masai levies and porters who were transported in two armoured trains.
On September 26, 1905, Koitalel allegedly convened his war council to finalise plans of finishing off the rebellion he had sustained for the last decade.
The epic battle between the two strategists, Koitalel and Meinertzhagen took place? On October 19, 1905 at around 11.15am and Koitalel refused to shake hands. Meinertzhagen took this as treachery, grabbed his hand and used him as a human shield.
Meinertzhagen gloats: “I seized the Laibon and dragged him forward, getting scratched by his spear. The Orkoiyot wrenched himself free. I am unable to state with certainty what followed. The Laibon was shot simultaneously by myself and my native officer (Mbaruk Effendi). I took two stone-headed knobkerries from the Laibon’s belt.”
TRIP TO COAST
After the Laibon was killed, the British then tried to endear themselves to Kipchober Arap Koilegen, who resided in Kericho by promoting him to a paramount chief although they already found him an established leader among the Kipsigis.
They tried to woo Koitalel’s brother by organising a trip for him to the coast where he and his seven advisers were taken to Mombasa and feted like celebrities in the hope that Koilegen would sign away the land in Kericho for tea growing.
“During the trip, my grandfather declined to sign any agreement with the British as the land did not belong to him. He realised that all along the British had been planning to grab his people’s land and his attitude towards them changed,” Joseph Sigilai explains.
Somehow, the British did finalise a plan, which was aimed at disciplining Koilegen for his insolence and also rid the entire Nandi and Kipsigis land of the influence of the Talai clan.
On January 7, 1914 Koilegen, his brother Boisio and Kibuigut? were tricked into travelling to Kipkelion (Lumbwa Station) where they were slapped with detention orders? and transported to Nairobi in a cargo train before being taken to Murang’a, Nyeri and Meru.
