Former Cabinet Minister William ole Ntimama is dead

Former Cabinet Minister William ole Ntimama

Former Cabinet Minister and long time Narok North MP William ole Ntimama is dead; he died of natural causes, family says.

During the night of September 1, Mzee Hon. William Ole Ntimama passed on at his Narok home from Natural Courses. DCI Officers are escorting his body to Lee Funeral Home, Nairobi.

Former Cabinet Minister and long time Narok North MP William ole Ntimama is dead; he died of natural causes, family says.

During the night of September 1, Mzee Hon. William Ole Ntimama passed on at his Narok home from Natural Courses. DCI Officers are escorting his body to Lee Funeral Home, Nairobi.

For four decades William Ronkorua ole Ntimama strode the Maasai land like a Colossus championing the rights of the community, that he claimed were marginalised.

The 86-year old who became the self-styled spokesman of the community served 15 years as the chairman of the powerful Narok County Council and 25 years as a Member of Parliament and Cabinet minister in various capacities. In the 1990s, Ntimama was blamed for orchestrating attacks against non-Maasai in Narok- which was subject of the Akiwumi Commission of Inquiry into the 1992 ethnic clashes — blamed for uprooting of thousands of the Kikuyu from parts of Rift Valley. As the de facto community leader, Mr Ntimama could not stand anyone who messed with the rights of the Maasai.

But in the March 4 General Election, he lost his Narok North parliamentary seat to Moitalel ole Kenta, a new comer in the Maasai politics.