BLOGS FROM THE MOUNTAIN

 Photo: Masai warriors at Oloika, Ntulele in Narok.  By Thomas Chemelil The 2024 Christmas has found me in Oloika, in Ntulele within the expansive Narok. The mission is to share in the joy of one Edward Mberia Koonyo as he celebrates God's favour in his life. I am sandwitched within the red Masai shukas as song and dance rents the air to celebrate the occasion. I am joined by none other than Elijah Manangoi and Wycliff Kinyamal, two legendary Masai athletes who have joined Mberia on the occasion. Kinyamal leads me in learning the scintillating Masai moves. I know I have failed, but as the one and only messenger from the hills, I cannot allow failure to come in between me and glory. Masai women rhythmically dance to the tunes belted by two reknown Masai artists. I have forgotten their names though because my head rushes to the well cooked Nyama Choma served on the fresh leaves of local herb trees. The inviting aroma cannot allow me to master the names of the two artists. Soup l...

 Photo/Pinterest: A Pokot elder By Thomas Chemelil The date? 24th April 1950. The event? The callous murder at Kolloa in Baringo. The players? A pokot Dini ya Msambwa convert called Lukas Pkech and a young British Administrator called Alan Stevens. By the time the smoke of the guns dissipated that fateful morning, Lucas Pkech, 28 of his converts, 3 British Nationals including Alan Stevens and one unnamed African Askari lay in a pool of blood-dead! History would record this event as the Kolloa Affray. Yet the historians should have been kind enough to just call it a massacre. How the Dini ya Msambwa found its way to East Baringo is not known. It is however clear that Lukas Pkech, a Pokot convert, took the teachings of its founder- Elijah Masinde- so seriously that he used his movement to preach against the colonial government near the Kolloa area. Stevens attempt to curb his influence led to the confrontation on the 24th April  1950 as over 300 Msambwa converts armed with spear...

Photo/A-Z. animals.com: Jarring flash of thunder.  By Thomas Chemelil It is the cold season of July approaching furiously. The biting cold that can chill any strong heart into submission is here with us. Outside, the jarring flashes of Amadioha,he of the thunderbolt, and his incessant weeping conspire to create a sombre mood. The gentle murmur of the rains as it pounds the corrugated sheets of iron create a lulling effect. In the mountains of the gods, a heavy blanket of mist descends to pile misery on the populace. This is compounded by the treacherous roads. The people of Karena and Sambalat must be watching the mist above them. It will remind them of the story of their early inhabitants who thought that the mist in Embobut had killed all the inhabitants in the hill. The story is told that when the mist had cleared, the Valley residents prepared to go and harvest maize left behind by the highland people killed by the mist.  On arrival, they were suprised to find children pla...

By Thomas Chemelil The year is the early 1950s. The actors, mzee Kidomo, mzee Chemelil Yatich and a band of sixteen Komora men or thereabouts. The mission: to snatch a beautiful damsel from Kipsaiya who was attending catechism classes at AIM Kapsowar. The place was then known as Kaptibiim(The place of the girls). P9rior to the event, that was to reshape history, the elders of Kapkomora had noted that Tamsi, a member of the Korongoro age set, had lagged behind his agemates in the business of marriage. A 'farwa' was declared that the subsequent generation, the Kaberur, would not be allowed to marry until Tamsi had a wife.! It was therfore the responsibility of the Kaberur age set to find a wife for mzee Tamsi. Unfortunately for them, the white missionaries at Kapsowar AIM had grouped all girls who were ripe for marriage for religious classes. A decision was reached by the Kaberur men to snatch one damsel, Kimoi of Kipsaiya, from the jaws of the white missionaries. The leader of t...

photo/Source: Rt. Hon. Raila By Thomas Chemelil For almost a decade, I have followed comrade Amolo Odinga in his political sojourn which has been riddled will melodramatic twists and turns. He has continuously played the role of villain in Kenya's political stage. Like a marionette, we have continuously twisted him on stage to suite our story, both foe and friend being guilty of this.  Yet it saddens me to see him exit the stage in such an ignominious and less exciting manner. Like all legendary figures of African tales, the hero is not immortal. His end comes.  For Raila, It has been always a case of so near, yet so far. That such a man who has fought so hard to liberate our country should exit without a trophy to show for his efforts saddens even the harshest of his critics, me included.  I have had cut-throat discourses with his die-hard supporter- Edward Igesa- who has spared no apt adjective to describe his hero. I have always sought to convince him that Raila lacks ...

photo credit/Source: Kipteber Hill in Marakwet West, Elgeyo Marakwet County.  By Thomas Chemelil Cherang'any hills tower above the skies to the East of this place like the legendary tower of Babel. To the North, I can discern the obstinate Zebu bull-hump that is the legendary Kipteber hill. For those who don't know Kipteber, It is a small hilly piece of huge rock that  is thought to have fallen from the skies. It indeed looks odd in its environment and must have indeed fallen from the skies. Legend has it that a group of men and women were making merry and dancing. As they were doing so, a crow came and warned them that there was a huge rock falling from the sky. The people, thinking that the crow was lying chased it away. They could not fathom how a rock could fall from the sky. They continued with their partying. Soon after, the entire sky was engulfed by an unusual darkness. When the people looked up, they indeed saw a huge rock falling from the sky! They then desperately t...

Photo/pinterest: Champions trophy.  By Thomas Chemelil Saturday evening finds me glued to our popular HD screen in the hood. I am so excited by the impending clash between the Madrid fellas and the overated Liverpool led by their Egyptian Pharaoh, Mo Salah. Like the Egyptian god Osiris, Mohammed Salah walks into the pitch astute as an ancient pyramid. A wave of excitement sweeps through the enthusiastic crowd of Liverpool fans as they bow in honour of their god, Moha Salah. Suleiman Mane walks into the pitch, his dark hue momentarily taking away the glow from Salah's radiant entry.  Christiano Ronaldo, the great Portuguese explorer who roams the turbulent sea of the football pitch without fear, walks in majestically. He shines, in the words of Shakespeare, like a rich jewel in an Ethiops ear! I see the ebony Marcello arrive in the pitch stoically, obviously aware that this is another carnival in Rio.  Sergio Ramos saunters into the pitch with a sly, wry smile. Little do w...

  Photo/corafrika: Prof. Ramenga Osotsi By Thomas Chemelil My dear readers, the holy writ says clearly that the love of knowledge is the beginning of wisdom. I do not know the exact verse because I have spend so much of my time in the hills in communion with the gods of the hill. Two decades ago, I embarked on a journey to explore the world through its Literature. I must admit that it has been a rich experience for me to visit the entire world without buying a single ticket! I am greatly indebted to my great teachers Prof. Ramenga Osotsi, Adalo Moga, Prof. Owino Rew, Kitche Magak, Prof. Luvai and the great feminist Prof. Wangari Mwai for embracing in me the value of words which are aesthetically used to create a lasting impression. You must forgive me for being impatient with men whose sentences are akin to what Prof. Owino Rew would call Chomsky's  'colourless green grass which eat green snakes.' We must always attach aesthetic value to our discourse. We must follow the di...

Photo/facebook: A smile from Rael By Thomas Chemelil It is Friday evening. The blogger from the hill is winding off at the noisy Marura market.  A sea of humanity is gathered here with the hope of salvaging a cheap second-hand item from the mean traders. The air is filled with the suffocating smell of fish and human sweat. Unable to withstand it any longer, I choose to take refuge in the peaceful environment that is my abode. As I get out of the market,  a dark car pulls by and, to my surprise, somebody  shouts my name from the confines of the car. The echo of her voice reverberates from the car.  The voice is familiar. As I edge closer, the unmistakable smile of madam Rugut greets me. "Brother Tom," she shouts . Wow! What a re-union! This was the beginning of one of the best chicken eating sessions of my life. My journey with Madam Rael Rugut began way back at the only school that bears the name and weight of a District- Marakwet High School. I recall the passion wi...

Photo/icirnigeria.org: Prof. Elechi Amadi By Thomas Chemelil Agwatorumbe walked along the path to Chiolu. He was a popular dibia(medicineman) and whenever the children spotted him, they followed him as they chanted,"Turumbe! Turumbe!" When he arrived at Anyika's village, Anyika asked him,"What brings you here?" "The same old business of chasing away spirits," Turumbe replied. Indeed am alluding to the great work by one of Nigeria's finest writer, Elechi Amadi, The Concubine. Sadly Elechi Amadi is no more. He has gone to keep company his ancestors in the land yonder- the land of no return. I know Chinua Achebe will welcome him with a warm bowl of porridge. He will place a warm yam  in his hand and welcome him with a broad smile. Yet this will not happen before they break Kola. The heroine of Amadi's story is Ihuoma, an ill-fated woman who has had the dishonour of 'killing' every man who marries her.  Several men marry her, but they all e...

By Thomas Chemelil Mzee Koshellei Rianakow Kasikowit of Kitarian , Kapsaniak in Marakwet East (God rest his soul in peace), cut an enigmatic figure even in his sunset years. He was tall and had a lithe, athletic figure. His purely white hair and shiny, dangling ornaments suspended on his pierced earlobes gave him the image of an extraterrestrial being. His high cheekbones and his shiny, active eyes gave him a macho image.  When he spoke, a staff firmly held in his big palms, his guttural voice would always pull the attention of his or her listeners.  He passed on at roughly 110 years of age in 1990. This age was arrived at because of his explanations that he participated in the construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway. This assertion was lend credence by the copper ornaments dangling on his extended earlobes. All his peers never had such ornaments.  For him to have participated in the construction of the railway, he must have been over 16-20 years old. Mzee Koshellei Rian...

By Thomas Chemelil In the not so distant past in Marakwet land existed a clan known as Kakuru in Marakwet East Sub-County. Yet today, Kakuru clan has been wiped from the screen of history. Do you know why? Am seated with Augustine Komen, a man from Kamogo Village, the Clan of Hon. Kangogo Bowen. Augustine Komen is making my evening lovely with the tale of of the Kakuru Clan which disappeared from the face of history because of their cruel nature! The story is told of how the Kakuru Clan was so cruel to their neighbours that each time they were aware that a visitor was coming to their village they would welcome him to sit on a stone-stool that had,out of their cruelty, been pre-heated with fire to make it hard for the visitors to sit on.  Any time a visitor sat on the pre-heat stone, he would have his bare backside scalded by the hotly heated stone! It would really hurt the visitors that their hosts would mistreat them in such a manner.  The neighbours of the Kakuru Clan were n...

  By Thomas Chemelil Photo/angelUS: Priest offering blessings in Northern Kenya.  This world is full of tales to tell. If it is not about Loti Pen and his lost wallet, the  Kakuru Clan or Edward Igesa and his allegiance to Elizabeth Akata, it will be about the legendary hill of Kipteber and the crow that warned people about a falling rock. Today, I will tell you the story of the Bishop's driver who was forced to "bless" cattle rustlers along the Soko Bora-Chesegon stretch. One day, in the not so distant past, the story is told, the late Bishop Cornelius Korir was from a peace mission in Kerio Valley. As fate would have it, the late Bishop decided to head back to Eldoret on a chopper that the Deputy President had used then. He instructed his dutiful driver to take the vehicle back to Eldoret. That journey by road would remain etched in the memory of the said driver to date. Somewhere along Kapkobil, the driver came face-to-face with a team of armed cattle rustlers who stop...

By Thomas Chemelil Anybody who has been to Embobut must have come across the legendary name 'Loti Pen'- a corruption of its English equivalent of Lord Ben. Almost every conversation with the locals will not end without mention of the exploits of this legendary  figure, Loti Pen. The story is told of how Loti Pen went to Kapsowar one day. As fate would have it, he missed a matatu on his return journey to Embobut. Loti Ben arrived in Chesoi and decided to pay a visit to Jeremiah to taste his holy waters before embarking on the arduous journey on foot to the holy mountains. After several swallows for the road, Loti Pen begun his punitive 32km journey to Embobut. He arrived home safely, but dog-tired. It was then that Loti Pen fumbled in his pockets only to realise that he had left his wallet and its precious contents 32km away! Not a man to easily give up, Loti Pen instructed his dutiful wife to fill his kerosene lamp for him with enough mafuta and light it for him as he had to go...

Photo/RaymondOmollo.org: president Ruto addressing parliament By Thomas Chemelil  President Ruto, in his address to the nation, got the tone of his message right. By all standards, it was an inspiring speech that addressed the needs of the people directly. The President, in his speech, appeared to listen to the concerns of the ordinary people by cancelling the controversial Adani deal that had been accused of attempting to take away Kenya's sovereignity. Kenyans were not happy with the Adani deal because of the alleged shaddy deals of Adani in other countries. In opposing it, they were attempting to protect what is rightfully a national strategic asset. For once, the President allowed action to speak for itself. He threw Adani under the bus and Kenyans were elated by this development. The President equally appeared concilliatory as he reminded Kenyans that their right to protest, within the confines of law, will always be protected. This was good news to the Maandamano-,loving Gen-...

Photo credit/ Source: Morara Kebaso   By Thomas Chemelil Literary works, as has been the case world over, have had an uncanny way of reflecting our everyday realities. To put it aptly, Literature has been aptly described as the mirror with which societies look at their own selves. The tragedy always, as my great lecturer at Maseno Adalo Moga puts it, has been  that we have always misused our mirrors as societies: every morning, we have stripped ourselves naked and placed our mirrors on our front to admire the beauty of our faces forgetting to put them at our backsides to witness the folly of our ugly hindside! It is this ugly hind side that Lawyer Morara Kebaso is shining a bright torch on. In fact, Morara Kebaso has elevated himself to the realm of John Lara's The Samaritan. One can aptly say that Morara, like Alvita and Montano, is confronting the ghosts of corruption bedevilling country Kenya with the vicious energy it deserves. In Lara's fictional world, two students from ...

By Thomas Chemelil Like good wine, Gladys Kemboi Wilson has grown finer with age. She is an alumni of the great school reknown for instilling champion mentality in its students, St. Francis Kimuron High School. Gladys has been awarded by the Graduate School of Business of Illinois as the 2024 DPC Preservation Award for her work which advocates for use of digital platforms to preserve indige- nous knowledge that can be used to mitigate against climate change issues. She has been a passionate advocate of climate issues and has always sought for ways to tap into indigenous knowledge on the issue in order to bring on board all people in the fight to reverse its effects. Prior to 2015, Kimuron still admitted girls. Gladys took her chance well to make the school proud in academia. She is now pursuing her PhD at Illinois. To date, she remains a great role model to many students at the school. Gladys is proud of Kimuron and has always been at the forefront of celebrating every little success f...

photo/Source: DP Gachagua at meeting journalists. By Thomas Chemelil In his masterpiece An Enemy of the People, Henrik Ibsen aptly describes the predicament of one individual in the face of a compact majority that fails to heed to the dictates of truth. DP Rigathi Gachagua seems to face the same predicament as Dr.Stockmann as he faces a parliament that has already made up its mind.  Tragically, like an obstinate bull, the DP has continued to hit his head against the hard wall of parliament. The consequence will definitely be his own bleeding to death. The DP should realize the futility of his fight as the odds are against. If I were to advise DP Gachagua, I would tell him to resign in order to fight another day. the die has been cast and he has no room to take chances with a parliament that has made up its mind.