The first British caravan constructing Kenya - Uganda railway arrived at Kapsabet in 1890 at the time when Nandi community was enjoying the benefits of the Nandi highlands which ensured surplus production of food and successful agriculture.
Before the arrival of the white man, Orkoiyot Kipnyolei had prophesied that a long iron snake would pass through the Nandi land.
Another foreseer who was known as Mango had prophesied that the British man would have sophisticated and dangerous weapons and warned the Nandi’s not to dare fight with them.
Things at first were cool until 1895 when the longest and strongest resistance against the British kicked off. This war would later last for eleven years.
In 1895, a British trader, Andrew Dick, killed two Nandi men for allegedly straying into his camp. Nandi warriors retaliated by killing Dick’s partner, Peter West and the conflict went on as the British sought reinforcements from Britain, India and the local communities which had surrendered and collaborated with them.
On the other hand, Nandi warriors who skilled in organizing a fierce war with the use of spears and arrows received the backup of Kipsigis and other Kalenjin communities under the leadership of Orkoiyot Koitalel Arap Samoei.
Five years later, the war was at the climax as the Nandi warriors had completely paralyzed the construction of the railway by killing the Indian coolies who were working under the Imperial British Company and destroyed all means of communication by stealing the materials used by the Indians and bringing down key telegraph communication centre at Kitoto, in the Nandi valley, cutting off communication between Downing Street in London, the soldiers and the Railway workers in Kenya and Uganda.
The British responded by sending more soldiers to fight and destroy the Nandi community. All these led to massive loss of lives and the total destruction of property among the Nandi.
This war went on until October 1905, when the British could realize that they would only win the war if Koitalel Samoei would be brought down.
On October 19th, Richard Meinertzhagen asked to meet Koitalel for a truce. Instead, Col Richard Meinertzhagen killed Orkoiyot Koitalel Arap Samoei point plank and the warriors who had accompanied him. The death of Samoei marked the end of the Nandi resistance.
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