Kaplogoi (Honoring Mzee Kimurei)

 By William Kiptoo

On March 12, 2024, I visited Kaplogoi village in Tembeleo Ward, Moiben Sub-county, Uasin Gishu’s as part of my quest to learn more about history of settlers in Uasin Gishu. I met Mzee Kipkat Barmao Chepkurui, also known locally as Kimurei. Though age had taken a toll on his body, his memory remained crystal clear. He welcomed my visit with gentleness and patience, aware that he might be one of the last living bearers of this historical thread.

I asked him about the origins of the homestead he occupied, and he mentioned a name from the distant past—Prinsloo—as the original owner. That single name opened a portal into colonial memory, revealing a lineage that had shaped the land more than a century ago.

The homestead was surrounded by fruit trees said to be nearly a hundred years old, a living archive of a forgotten era.

Though unwell at the time, Mzee Kimurei spoke of Koos Prinsloo, the South African hunter and settler whose family had once called the area home. His recollection, vivid and undisturbed by the decades gone by, served as a unique oral record that complemented written settler histories. He remembered the orchard, the hunting tales, and even the land transaction that followed their departure.

“That man Prinsloo... he didn’t talk much to locals, but we saw him go into the bush with his rifle. His wife was the one who kept the home.”

Just over a month after this meeting, Mzee Kimurei passed away on April 29, 2024. His passing marked more than the loss of a respected elder. It was the closing of a chapter that had only briefly been reopened. His willingness to share knowledge helped preserve a slice of Kaplogoi’s legacy that might otherwise have vanished.