Brief History
The Koitaleel Samoei University College (KSUC) was formed through a Legal Notice as a College of the University of Nairobi. In the mirror image of the mentoring university, KSUC will have 7 campuses, one in each sub-county of the Nandi County, and a Teaching Hospital.
It offers the following courses : Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), Master's in Education (M.ED), Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.), Bachelor of Education - Arts (B. Ed. Arts), Bachelor of Education - ECE (B. Ed. ECE.) and Diploma in Early childhood Education (ECE.). All these programmes have been approved by the Commission for University Education (CUE).
The University College is named after a famous Nandi hero, Koitaleel Arap Samoei. A brief history of this hero follows.
Brief History of the Eponymous Hero
Koitaleel Arap Samoei was born to Kimnyole Arap Turukat at Samitui in Aldai Sub-County. He was the last of four sons and belonged to the Kaplelach age-set. Even though he was the youngest, he was reportedly close to his father and displayed the greatest ability in understanding prophetic signs.
Kimnyole, who is said to have predicted his death, reportedly summoned his four sons as he saw his time approach and asked them to consult traditional brews in a pot. Samoei upon gazing into the pot, drew his sword in protest having perceived the coming of the Europeans.
Kimnyole sensed danger in his sons’ bravery and out of concern for his safety, sent Koitaleel's three siblings to live among the Kipsigis while Samoei was asked to go and live among the Tugen.
After the death of Kimnyole, a faction of Nandi people sent for Koitaleel who had already taken refuge among the Keiyo. Koitaleel's brother, Kipchomber Arap Koilege, also lay claim to Nandi leadership, leading to a succession dispute. Factions formed around the two aspirants and minor skirmishes took place between their supporters but this did not extend to full-scale war. The dispute ended with the defeat of Kipchomber Arap Koilege in 1895, after which he fled to the Kipsigis with his supporters, becoming the first Kipsigis Orkoiyot (Laibon).
Koitaleel was appointed successor to his father, and was made Orkoiyot in 1895.
When British colonials began building the Uganda Railway through the Nandi area, Koitaleel led an eleven-year resistance movement against the railway.
To end the resistance, the British Col. Richard Meinertzhagen invited Koitaleel to negotiate a truce. The peace meeting was to be held at 11:00AM on October 19, 1905. Suspecting that he would be killed as his father Kimnyole had feared, Samoei instructed the British Colonel to come with five companions to meet him at Ketbarak (present day Nandi Bears Club). Samoei was to come with five foretellers.
Contrary to the agreement, Meinhertzhagen marched from the fort at Kaptumo with 80 armed men, 75 of whom hid near the venue of the meeting. It is reported that when Koitalel stretched his hand to shake Meinhertzhagen's, the British Colonel shot him at point blank range thus killing him and effectively ending the Nandi Resistance.He was succeeded by his brother, Kipeles Arap Tamasun, while his son, Barsirian Arap Manyei (born 1882), would later become the Nandi leader from 1919 until 1922 when he was detained by the British. Barsirian was not released until 1964, making him the longest-serving political prisoner in Kenyan history.
