February 2, 2006
Nandi artefact in British Museum
The British Museum has a walking stick, that has been identified as having belonged to the Kenyan hero Orkoiyot Koitalel arap Samoei who was murdered by a British soldier one hundred years ago.
From:
The Nation (Nairobi)
Walking Stick of Legendary Nandi in UK Museum
The Nation (Nairobi)
February 2, 2006
Posted to the web February 1, 2006
Mike Mwaniki
NairobiA UK-based lobby yesterday identified items it had traced in a London Archive belonging to legendary Nandi leader Orkoiyot Koitalel arap Samoei.
They include a rungu (baton), walking stick and forked stick belonging to the Kenyan hero, who was murdered 100 years ago by a British colonial soldier.
The London archive is owned by a descendent of Col Richard Meinertzhagen, the soldier who executed Mzee Samoei in 1905, lobby chairman Joe Sang said in a statement.Yesterday, Dr Sang termed as “erroneous” an earlier story carried by the Nation which identified the recovered items as a skin cap which the laibon always wore, a rungu and shoes.
Mzee Samoei and 23 others were murdered at a “peace” meeting in 1905.
He said: “On behalf of the Talai clan and friends of GAA – (the lobby) – I’m delighted to commend the great work that has been undertaken by my colleague, Dr Kipnyango Seroney.
“Through his persistence, he has not only succeeded in carrying out an interesting interview with the son of Col Meinertzhagen, but managed to recover three items belonging to the great Nandi leader.”
The colonel murdered Mzee Samoei and 23 other members of the family and community at a peace treaty meeting in 1905.
Dr Sang went on: “These items are of great historical significance to both the Talai clan, the Kalenjin and the Kenyan nation…
“We have also written to the British Museum and will lobby Parliament to release the remainder of his belongings, which are being kept at the British museum.”
He observed: “These items are an important part of our history and it is right and proper that they are returned to Kenya and preserved in the Koitalel Museum, for all to view and appreciate our heritage. “We have commissioned a reputable sculptor to build a transparent casing where they will be preserved.”
Last year, President Kibaki attended Samoei centenary celebrations and asked local leaders to identify a site where the government would construct a memorial centre.
Descendents of Samoei have called on the British government to be compelled to compensate them for the 1905 atrocities.
- Kenyans welcome back stolen relics : April 15, 2006
- Shropshire man to return sacred sticks to Kenya : April 10, 2006
- Kenya asks museums to return artefacts : August 4, 2008
- Kenyan cultural property : August 7, 2008
- Fight for the return of stolen African art : April 25, 2006
- The search for lost artefacts that unearth history : September 26, 2007
- Are stolen treasures really better off in the West? : April 13, 2006
- British know more about Kenyan history than Kenyans : April 8, 2006
FRANCIS KIPCHIRCHIR ARAP TALAM said,
06.13.09 at 12:39 pm
AS A PATRIOTIC NANDI OF BAROSWA/MUGENI DESCENDEND, I ON BEHALF OF KOITALEL SAMOEI NANDI FOUNDATION WOULD LIKE TO THANKS OUR CURRENT GALLANT SONS AND HEROES DR. SAMBU,DR. KIPNYANGO,DR. MUGE AND KASS FM FOR BRINGING BACK HOME OUR HERITAGE.BEING A YOUNGEST ELDER IN THE FOUNDATION 31 YRS, I HAVE SEEN HISTORY WRITTEN AND SOTET PLUS TERET CURSES BY KIPNYOLEI CLEANSED DURING AND BEFORE KOITALEL 100.
KONGOI BIKAB KUTIT!
barnabas k biwott said,
11.21.10 at 1:58 pm
kindly i need to see the picture/photograph of koitalel arap somoei.
EMMANUEL LANGAT said,
06.23.11 at 7:58 am
THANKS ALOT THE HEROES OF KALENJIN FOR SHADING OUR HISTORY FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS. I AM AN ANTHROPOLOGIST AND A RESEARCHER IN MOI UNIVERSITY. I AM GREATLY IMPRESSED BY YOUR WORKS FOR UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE HAVE COME FROM AND OUR CULTURE IS THE GREATEST THING ON THE CONTINUITY OF THE HUMAN RACE. I AM ALSO UNDERTAKING AN MPHIL THESIS ON KINSHIP AND CLANISIM AMONG THE KIPSIGIS. I AM A TALAI MYSELF AND I WOULD WISH TO GET MORE MATERIALS REGARDING MY CLAN SO THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND IT MORE. KINDLY ADIVICE ME ACCORDINGLY SO THAT I CAN BE PART OF THE RESEARCH TEAM .KONGOI MISING
Richard K. Barchok said,
07.10.11 at 11:37 am
Congratulation to all, you you have made this country great by rewriting the true Kenyan history. The Talai clan deserve their place in Kenya he Kenyan history.
ELLY KIPKORIR BOIT said,
01.03.12 at 8:07 am
I appreciate the work done by the said patriotic scholars. I am a postgraduate student at Kenyatta University. I am pursuing a M.A. in Archaeology and I am interested in research in the area of conservation of heroes and heroines. I want to specifically do my study in my county:NANDI. Therefore information on Samoei’s heroic remains such as his rungu (baton), walking stick and forked stick are of great importance to me.Kindly assist me contribute to the documentation of the history of our people.