Wonders of Sergoit Hills

  By Jerome Ogola Someome asked me where Soy is and I won't usurp the role of google maps to explain the geography of this place and will instead give you some little history and some little information, you won't find anywhere else To begin with Soy is America, the land opportunity, an addictive place where one cannot relocate from, unless you kill someone or take a KWFT loan. At least from experience, these two are the only factors that have made people leave Soy, for good As we proceed, it is important that you know that Soy, is an agemate of Kisumu, Nairobi and Eldoret, only that it might've suffered a ratoon stunting disease and refused to grow. It is a "katumani" a "mbilikimo" or what we called a "Congo Zaire" when we were young, when someone misled us that the tallest Congolese is the height of a cooking jiko Soy was founded in 1914 by Lt Col G. Swinston, who had retired from the British Royal army, when he established a hotel, and a ran...

(Adopted from The Standard, Jan, 26, 2022) Eldoret town in Uasin Gishu is a rapidly growing urban center with a population of nearly half a million according to the 2019 national census. It is the sixth most populated town in Kenya after Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Ruiru. Eldoret is known for having some of the oldest estates, established as people migrated to urban areas in search of jobs starting in the 1960s. These estates have unique names based on the social status and race of the residents. Some estates existed even before independence, with Africans living in estates like Kidiwa, Macharia, Kilimani, Majengo, and Kapsuswo near the Kipchoge Keino Stadium. Somalis lived in Kampi Somali, Indians in Eldoret West, and whites in Elgon View and Kapsoya estates. Elgon View estate was associated with affluent individuals such as politicians, athletes, civil servants, and businessmen. The estate was home to whites, government officials, and colonial administrators. After independ...

We are deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Mzee Kipkat Barmao Chepkurui (Kimurei) from the Kaplogoi village, Tembelio Ward, Moiben sub-county. On March 12, I had the honor of visiting him at his home to inquire about the settler who once resided there. At that time, he was not in good health, but Mzee graciously shared invaluable knowledge about the history of the area, including information about Koos Prinsloo, the former owner of the home he lived in. We are truly thankful to Mzee Kimurei and his Kaptoiyoi clan for their willingness to share their wisdom with us, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of the history of Kaplogoi and the settlers who once called it home. The Wonders of Sergoit Hills would like to extend our condolences to the family and express our gratitude for Mzee Kimurei's significant contribution to our shared history. We will always be grateful for the wisdom and knowledge he shared with us during his lifetime. May the Lord rest his soul in peac...

By William Kiptoo Kihuga Square in Eldoret West is a historic landmark, standing as one of the oldest buildings in Eldoret town. Dated 1959, this place was a bustling business hub that was synonymous with Eldoret itself, especially in the 1980's and 1990's. The story of Kihuga Square traces back to the Gathitu family, who hailed from Nyagathanga hill in Muranga during the tumultuous Mau Mau war against British colonial rule. Nyagathanga Hill holds significance in Gikuyu folklore as the supposed residence of the Gikuyu god, Gikuyu, and his wife Mumbi. It was from this hill that their nine daughters dispersed to populate the Gikuyu world. Fleeing persecution from the British, the Gathitu family, led by their mother, sought refuge in the Rift Valley. They settled in various towns and areas such as Nyahururu, Nakuru, Timboroa, Uasin Gishu, Turbo, Maituma, and Sango. In Eldoret, they initially lived together in a village-like community in Majengo, alongside other migrant families. T...

  Adopted from The Standard, Jan, 26, 2022) Eldoret town in Uasin Gishu is a rapidly growing urban center with a population of nearly half a million according to the 2019 national census. It is the sixth most populated town in Kenya after Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Ruiru. Eldoret is known for having some of the oldest estates, established as people migrated to urban areas in search of jobs starting in the 1960s. These estates have unique names based on the social status and race of the residents. Some estates existed even before independence, with Africans living in estates like Kidiwa, Macharia, Kilimani, Majengo, and Kapsuswo near the Kipchoge Keino Stadium. Somalis lived in Kampi Somali, Indians in Eldoret West, and whites in Elgon View and Kapsoya estates. Elgon View estate was associated with affluent individuals such as politicians, athletes, civil servants, and businessmen. The estate was home to whites, government officials, and colonial administrators. After ind...

 By William Kiptoo You probably are familiar with an area called Cherunya in Eldoret, a vast expanse of land that borders Langas and stretches from Queens Garden, Rivatex to Yamumbi and Kipkaren estate. This 618-acre property was owned by Kiptalam arap Cherunya, who reportedly purchased it from a settler back in 1962. In March 1978, the government compulsorily acquired 400 acres of the land for industrial, residential, and commercial development purposes. The Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC) and Rivatex Company were allocated portions of the land, while the remainder was sold to private individuals. Cherunya subsequently took legal action to reclaim the land, arguing that the sale was invalid and that titles had been issued to individuals without his consent. Following his passing, his four children - John, Sammy, Grace, and James Cherunya - took over the case as administrators of his estate. After years of legal battles, the Eldoret Environment and Land Cou...

By Henry Kibiwot Chebii What comes to your mind when you hear the name Rock farm? My mind will think of a place full of rocks.Yes;A farm with relative abundance of rocks. If you have ever been to Rock farm you can as well agree it is actually full of rocks Rock Farm as it is called today refers to the farm that surround's Sergoit Rock(Tulwop Sirgoek) The vast farm that borders Sergoit Hills to the West belonged to an Afrikaner Hendrick Petrus Van Heerden who was a member of Van Rensburg trek. After arriving in Uasin Gishu in the year 1909 he took over farm 17 which was initially 3,276 acres and transformed it from thick bush into grazing and agricultural land. Van Heerden was married to Freda Christina Keese and were blessed with children; Van Heerden Theodorus and Louis Felix.He died in July 1954 and was buried in Eldoret European Cemetery His son Van Heerden Theodorus took over the ownership of the farm until the year 1967 when he sold the farm, machineries and cattle on a will...

  By Henry Kibiwot Chebii Chemanywes Farm, also known as the Sergoit Rock Farm, is a sprawling 3,000+-acre land situated in Sergoit, Moiben sub-county, Uasin Gishu. The farm originally belonged to a settler named Henri Van Heerden.  Local lore tells of the farm being acquired by residents of Chepkorio, who, in the 1960s, purchased the land under a collective scheme that also included the Manyatta land in Moiben. Initially comprising 13 families, each holding a 22-acre stake, the farm remained undivided until 1992. The first settler on the farm was a man named Chemanywes, a member of the Korieta family, who eventually relocated to Manyatta, Moiben. The locals affectionately dubbed the area Kap-Chemanywes in his honor. Within Chemanywes, each distinct area bears its own unique name, such as Chepkokoch, Koibakurio, Kaptibis, Emkwen, Koiwa Taoia, and Kapkulunga. These names carry deep historical and cultural significance within the community, with Kapkulunga, for instance, being n...