EARLY DAYS: HC KIRK OF KIMININI, NEAR KITALE, TRANS NZOIA

By Herman Landgrebe (Written in 1983) Source: Habari, friends of East Africa
HC Kirk, usually known as HC or Bert to his friends, or Bwana Mrefu to the Africans, came to Kenya in 1907 just before his twenty first birthday. After several visits to friends he knew or knew of, he joined Mr Russell Bowker, the first owner of Mt Margaret Estate in the Kedo Valley near Kijabe.
On joining Mr Bowker they set off on a six months shooting safari to the Uasin Gishu by ox waggon, Mrs Bowker going too, complete with her sewing machine. Mr Kirk received no pay but would be fed by the Bowkers and what he shot, obviously the ivory, would be his reward. He was to drive the wagon also. A base camp was set up on the Uasin Gishu side of the Nzoia River near a big swamp not far from Hoey's bridge where it joined the main Eldoret-Kitale.
In 1908 Mr Kirk left Mt Margaret and joined Mr AC Hoey at Sergoit on the shores of the lake. At that time Mr Hoey owned Karuna Farm where Mr Alec farmed later, until all European owned land was taken over for African settlement. Mr Hoey was running a hunting safari business, called the "Sergoit Stores" and Mr Kirk joined him to run it and to conduct safaries for clients, as well as trading in Ivory and trophies.
In 1909 US ex-president Theodor Roosevelt and his son Kermit came to Kenya on a hunting safari. Sergoit Stores were approached to organise a lion spearing by Maasai Moran. There was a clan of Maasai residing nearby Sergoit in those days. In November the ex-president and his son came up to the Uasin Gishu for the spearing which took place not far from where the road from Soy to Moiben crossed the road from Eldoret to Ziwa and Cherangani, near to where Mr Boet Fouché farmed latterly. The lions were speared. It cost Mr Roosevelt £150. The entire spearing was organized by Mr Kirk as Mr Hoey was away in Abessinia trading horses to bring down to Kenya.
Incidentally, Mr Hoey and Mr Kirk were sitting on top of Sergoit Rock when the Van Rensburg Trek arrived with their waggons from Nakuru to take up farms in the Uasin Gishu in 1908. The base camp was at the foot of the rock where the Davies took up land (Probably Chepngochoch: see previous article mentions Davies). The two men watched the group of wagons crossing the Uasin Gishu Plain.

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