The Konchellahs from Kilgoris in the Rift Valley have dominated politics and sports, and were recently in the news after former America Ambassador Michael Ranneberger took 20 cows to Olochan village in Narok County as bride price for Ruth Konchellah, whom he married at the AG’s Chambers in 2013.
John Konchellah: The late former MP for Narok West who served as assistant minister in the ministries of Health and Education in both the Kenyatta and Moi governments, was also Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health. His most famous son is athlete Billy Konchellah.
Grace Mesopirr: Wife of John Konchellah, she authored A Tale of a Maasai Girl in 1998. The former continuity announcer with VoK (Voice of Kenya) - which is now Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) - in the 1960s, was Cultural Assistant in the Kenya Embassy in France for 25 years.
Billy Konchellah: Before David Rudisha, this two-time 800 metreS world champion, whose 1:41:06 time set in Rome in 1987 (the year he won gold during the 4th All Africa Games in Nairobi), remains unbroken. The alumnus of Nairobi’s Upper Hill Secondary School and the University of New Mexico (business administration) finished fourth in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He missed the 1988 and 1992 Olympics when he was at his prime due to long bouts of asthma. He was acquitted of rape charges in the UK in 2004, but jailed for two years in Finland where he was released in 2006. He retired in Kenya.
Gregory Konchellah: Billy’s son who became a Bahrain national in 2003 and changed his name to Yusuf Saad Kamel. The 33-year-old 800m and 1500m specialist won the 2009 World Athletic Championships in Berlin. His attempts to revert to Kenyan citizenship were thwarted by nabobs in the Bahrain government.
Patrick Konchellah: Billy’s brother and the 2004 Commonwealth Games 800m champ who withdrew from the 2000 Sidney Olympics due to illness. He never recovered. He succumbed to cancer at the Tenwek Mission Hospital in 2009 at the age of 41.
Felix Konchellah: Patrick’s son continued the family tradition and represented Kenya in the 800m at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Ruth Konchellah: Director of Cherish Others, an NGO she founded in 2004 to fight FGM and early marriages in Maasailand.
Gideon Konchellah: The three-term MP for Kilgoris from 2003 to date and his uncle, John Konchellah, served as assistant minister for Health. The military officer in charge of logistics at the Department of Defence is an alumnus of Nairobi School and Military Training College, Camberley, UK, called Billy’s father, uncle.
