Ruto taken through cleansing ceremony at Koitalel shrine

By Michael Chepkwony

Hundreds of residents attended a reconciliation and cleansing ceremony held at the Koitalel Samoei Mausoleum in Nandi Hills.

Leaders who attended the commemoration, among them Eldoret North MP William Ruto, were taken through the reconciliation and cleansing rites. Koitalel’s grandson George Samoei officiated the commemoration and asked the community to uphold peace in keeping with his grandfather’s belief.

Elders started the rituals on Tuesday evening upto dawn when the public was allowed to participate. Ruto and other community leaders paid tribute to Koitalel. The MP termed him a true Kenyan legend, who had a good vision for the community and the country.

Koitalel arap Samoei was a renowned as a seer of the Nandi who was enthroned in 1885 as a leader of his people. He led the people in an 11-year resistance against the British colonial Government’s construction of the railway line.

He was killed on October 19, 1905 by Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen, who had disguised himself as a negotiator of peace.

The Nandi have been burdened by sins of the past where it is historically confirmed that they had killed Koitalel’s father because of a failed prophecy.

Also present during the ceremony were civic leaders and local MPs, including Ainamoi’s Benjamin Langat, Eldoret South’s Peris Simam, Jackson Kiptanui of Keiyo South and Mosop legislator David Koech.