Freedom fighters, heroes and traditional leaders who led their communities to fight the British government during colonization have been celebrated and widely recognized but little is known about Barsirian arap Manyei.
He is arguably Kenya's longest-serving political detainee and a son to Orkoiyot Koitalel Arap Samoei of the Nandi community who was murdered in 1905 by the colonialists.
Barsirian arap Manyei born in 1882 was the second born son and he took over the office of the Orkoiyot in 1919 from his elder brother, Kipeles Arap Tamasun who had died under unclear circumstances. Kipeles Arap Tamasun had succeeded Koitalel Samoei.
Barsirian ruled for three years before his life took a U-turn when he was arrested in 1922 and arraigned in Eldoret Magistrate court charged with sedition. He was sentenced and deported to Nyeri, then moved to Meru by the new year until 1964, thus spending forty-two years in prison making him Kenya's longest-serving political detainee.
At independence, Arap Manyei was among Kenyans who gathered at Uhuru gardens to witness the hoisting of Kenya’s flag and he crowned Kenya’s first Prime Minister Jomo Kenyatta with Nandi tradition gown when he visited Rift Valley on January 17, 1964, at Nakuru.
During his detention, Barsirian arap Manyei lost his all property and his family was subjected to torture and suffering. He died in 1974 as a ‘poor hero’ and his remains were buried at Lemoru in Uasin Gishu county.
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