Koitalel Arap Samoei was the Orkoiyot(leader) of the Nandi. Richard Meinertzhagen the man who killed him described Samoei as "A tall spare man of about 40, who had bloodshot and weary eyes in a long intelligent face, and pierced earlobes that brushed his shoulders".
During late 19 century, the Nandi often found themselves in crises with communities around them. These communities were like the Maasai and the Luo from the lakeside. Little did they know that soon it was going to be with the white man in a much worse degree.
Richard Meinertzhagen was the military representative of the East Africa Protectorate, which was the successor of the Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC). He was sent to deal with the threat posed by the Nandi. The Nandi had raided many caravans carrying supplies for the Uganda railway.
The British were not happy with what the Nandi were doing and they finned them 300 cattle which the Nandi did not pay.
Koitalel Arap Samoei and Richard Meinertzhagen planned a truce meeting. The meeting was to happen on October 19 1905. Going to this meeting was the lifetime blunder Samoei ever made, he thought Richard was meeting him honorably.
When every party was at the meeting place, Koitalel emerged from his warriors, holding a bundle of grass to betoken peace. He then extended a hand of to great Meinertzhagen. Some reports say that in that tense moment, Meinertzhagen hesitated, fearing that this might be an ambush. During that moment of hesitation, the British Richard Meinertzhagen shot the Nandi leader dead and his British officer's men then opened fire, killing Koitalel's entourage.
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