How Kimoi was Snatched from the Hands of Kapsowar White Missionaries

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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 the mission was none other than Chemelil Yatich Lotukow, my very own father!

A band of sixteen men arrived at Kaptibiin in Kapsowar. They find girls, led by missionaries, deep in soulful afternoon prayers. They melt into the prayerful crowd. As the cresendo of the abracadabra rises, they gently lifted Kimoi, the mother of Samuel Rotich, and walked away with her into Nirvana.

Mzee Chemelil Yatich Lotukow would later recount that Kimoi thought that she was being lifted to heaven. When she woke up from her prayer, Kimoi found herself surrounded by mean-faced Komora men.

She was taken through Cheles and Kaptobogon and later handed over to legendary mzee Kidomo(RIP) as the new bride in town.

It was only thwn that the Kaberur men of Kapkomora were allowed to marry, having accomplished the tough task of finding a wife for mzee Kidomo.

To date, the story of Kidomo and Kimoi still reverberates through the ridges of Kapkomra. The one and only messenger from the hills will always be here to recount these tales of valor. 

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