Koitalel Arap Samoei was a legendary figure and resistance leader among the Nandi people of Kenya, known for his courageous and unyielding opposition to British colonial rule. In 1905, under the guise of a peace treaty, Koitalel was lured into a trap and tragically assassinated by the British.
Koitalel was born to Kimnyole Arap Turukat in Aldai, Nandi, Kenya. The fourth of five sons, he grew up in a family lineage that held the role of Orkoiyot—spiritual and military leaders for the Nandi. Kimnyole, his father, was also an Orkoiyot, and he reportedly foresaw the arrival of European colonizers as a dire omen for his people. This foreboding vision would significantly shape Koitalel’s life and purpose.
As a young man, Koitalel displayed exceptional bravery and insight, qualities that positioned him to inherit his father’s role. However, his father, wary of the dangers that lay ahead, sent his sons to live among neighboring tribes to protect them from the looming threat of European invasion. Koitalel took refuge among the Keiyo, where he developed his leadership skills. After his father’s death, he was called back to Nandi to assume his father’s position as Orkoiyot, a role he formally accepted in 1895.
The Nandi resistance against the British began in 1896 in response to the construction of the Uganda Railway, a project initiated by British colonizers to connect Uganda’s rich resources to the coast, allowing for the extraction and export of raw materials. This railway cut through the heart of Nandi land, not only desecrating sacred grounds but also posing a threat to the autonomy and cultural heritage of the Nandi people. To the Nandi, the railway symbolized foreign domination, and they viewed it as an intrusion that needed to be halted at all costs.
Koitalel led an 9-year campaign to obstruct the construction of the railway, employing guerrilla warfare tactics that frustrated British colonial forces. His resistance movement consisted of numerous ambushes, sabotage of railway tracks, and attacks on British personnel. The Nandi warriors, under Koitalel’s command, targeted British supply lines and used their knowledge of the land to their advantage, making it nearly impossible for British forces to move unimpeded. These persistent attacks became a major obstacle for the British administration, delaying railway construction and proving costly in terms of both resources and manpower.
After several failed attempts to neutralize Koitalel Arap Samoei, British intelligence officer Richard Meinertzhagen devised a new strategy to end the resistance. On October 19, 1905, he invited Koitalel to a peace meeting, promising that negotiations would bring an end to the conflict. Although Koitalel was suspicious, he remained committed to peace and agreed to attend, provided that both sides would bring only five companions as a gesture of goodwill. He chose Ketbarak, now known as the Nandi Bears Club, as the meeting location.
However, Meinertzhagen did not honor the agreement. He arrived with 80 armed soldiers, hiding 75 of them nearby. As Koitalel extended his hand in greeting, Meinertzhagen drew his gun and shot him at point-blank range, killing him instantly. His men then killed Koitalel’s accompanying entourage. This cowardly act marked the end of the Nandi Resistance. It is also reported that Meinertzhagen decapitated Koitalel and sent his head and other body parts to England. Additionally, Meinertzhagen took tribal artifacts from Koitalel’s body, including a walking stick and baton, which were later returned to Kenya in 2006.
The Nandi were then forced into a native reserve, while their ancestral lands in the Nandi Hills were repurposed for European settlement. White settlers established vast colonial farms and tea plantations on this fertile land.
In the aftermath of Koitalel’s assassination and the Nandi campaign, the British installed a known collaborator as the new leader of the Nandi. However, this leader died in 1912, just three years later.
In 1919, Koitalel’s second son, Barsirian Manyei, was appointed the Nandi leader. However, in 1922, only four years into his leadership, he was arrested by the British authorities. Over the next four decades, he endured multiple transfers between prisons and house arrest, becoming Kenya’s longest-serving political prisoner. Manyei was finally released in 1964, after Kenya gained independence.
Today, Koitalel Arap Samoei is celebrated as a hero by both the Nandi and the Kenyan people, with his story serving as an inspiration for generations.
