Wonders of Sergoit Hills

By William Kiptoo The older generations of the 1980s and earlier may remember who John Kimeli Kemei, of the Kenya Prisons Staff Choir was. His patriotic and gospel songs roared on radio waves, filling homes, churches, and public gatherings with melodies that stirred both faith and national pride. His popular compositions included Tumikia Kenya — a call to serve the nation faithfully — and Utamanduni Wetu , Lugha Ya Mama, a celebration of Kenya’s cultural traditions and language. Well, who exactly was he? Many may not know that John Kimeli Kemei was actually a resident of Sergoit in Uasin Gishu, though his roots trace back to Nandi, where he was born in the early 1950s. His family moved to Karo farm in Sergoit in the 1960s, where his mother worked, and later to Charar farm and Kapkuis farm. His peers at Karo Farm included Francis Tarar, the former MP for Eldoret East constituency, Councillor Peter Kemei among others. While at Karo farm, Kemei attended Emsilies Primary School in the 1...

  It is a fantastic feeling to compare two different eras through photographs. I have always loved photos, and whenever I find an old one, I feel an irresistible urge to return to the exact spot where it was taken and capture a present day version. The purpose is deeper than simply recreating an image. It gives me a sense of connection. It allows me to feel the life then and the life now, to sense the people who stood there before me and the people who walk there today. Sometimes it feels as though I am speaking to both sides of time, and perhaps that is just something that lives in me. Today I stood in the same place where a cameraman stood in 1980. On that day he took a photograph of K A Tiren Merchandise at a time when a small pub stood in that space. In my photograph today a cooperative bank occupies the same ground. That is what time and change truly mean. The two photos are exactly 45 years apart. His photograph captured President Daniel arap Moi at 56 years old and only 2 ye...

By William Kiptoo   In 2023, I shared a story tittled  ”Lake Sergoit and the Fascinating Tale Behind the Name Charar."  The post explored the origin of the local name, Charar, and the cultural meanings attached to it. Here is an updated version, added on the cultural and historical framing based on further research (2025). As you know knowledge is never static....read on and let me know what you think. Lake Sergoit, sometimes called Charar, lies quietly in the heart of Uasin Gishu County, not far from Eldoret. To most travellers, it is just a shimmering patch of water beneath the shadow of Sergoit Hill, but to the communities that live around it, the lake carries stories older than memory. While the true meaning of the name Charar is not yet still clear, some elders I interviewed claim that it comes from the Kalenjin word “charar”, meaning “to flow” or “to overflow.” That it evokes the sound and movement of water surging through the plains after heavy rains. Elders say th...