My dad, Joseph Kiptarus arap Rugut died a poor tea estate labourer. He liked his job. He died on the day he had been 'promoted' to a senior supervisor. His predecessor was demoted. Dad died allegedly from alcohol intoxication, apparently because he was celebrating his promotion the only way he knew best: by drowning in the local brew. Those who picked his remains said he was strangled, his neck showing signs of strangulation. He didn't see his family break some cycle he wanted to see broken. Dad belonged to a generation whose parents considered education as a pass-time for social outcasts. His father made sure that he did not go to the Intermediate level after Kaptumo Government School (GS). His generation produced rare exceptions like Joseph Tendenei arap Letting and younger ones like Samwel Kipyebei arap Ngeny. Those were rare exceptions.
My grandfather, a senior (chongin) of the Maina age-set, somehow regretted his decision to roadblock dad's progress in education much later as he sent me away from his death-bed at Nandi Hills hospital. He made me believe he was OK, saying I should go back to my grandmother's in Uasin Gishu. He died before I reached my grandma's.
Kiprugut arap Ngeny believed that education was only necessary to enable one read the road sign posts. Beyond that, he and his generation thought, children who went to GS Kapsabet howled like hyenas. That was madness. My grandpa would have none of that madness for his sons and daughters. And he had many. He migrated from Kapngendui in Kabirer to Kimatkei in Tindiret and then on to Sireet where he met with Bwana Robotson (Robertson), the owner of Koisagat Tea Estate. Luckily for him and his generation his daughters were married off. For each daughter who was given away, he sold the dowry, kept the money according to a strict rule, which enabled him to separate the wealth according to his two wives' daughters. Eventually, tired of "pressing blue" (teben buluu), signing with the thumb dipped in blue ink, which was a way of seeking permission to keep cattle in the reserves, he sought to buy land in the Location Seven of Kaptalam near Kabiriirsang next door to super athlete Henry Rono, Olympic champion Wilfred Kipkemboi Bungei and World champion Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei. That land was bought using the money accumulated from dowry. Each wife's daughters' dowry bought so much land, which was divided amongst the sons of each wife in keeping with the Nandi tradition of "ma amei go(t age) go(t)", literally no one home shall feed on/eat of another home. Every home is entitled to own property. My father did not want to leave his Kamelilo people to adopt a new home in Kaptalam at Kabiriirsang.
By not moving, he stayed on as a labourer at Robotson's farm (Koisagat Tea Estate). It was the case of the son inheriting servitude from his father. Talk of a vicious cycle, this is one such.
My grandfather, a senior (chongin) of the Maina age-set, somehow regretted his decision to roadblock dad's progress in education much later as he sent me away from his death-bed at Nandi Hills hospital. He made me believe he was OK, saying I should go back to my grandmother's in Uasin Gishu. He died before I reached my grandma's.
Kiprugut arap Ngeny believed that education was only necessary to enable one read the road sign posts. Beyond that, he and his generation thought, children who went to GS Kapsabet howled like hyenas. That was madness. My grandpa would have none of that madness for his sons and daughters. And he had many. He migrated from Kapngendui in Kabirer to Kimatkei in Tindiret and then on to Sireet where he met with Bwana Robotson (Robertson), the owner of Koisagat Tea Estate. Luckily for him and his generation his daughters were married off. For each daughter who was given away, he sold the dowry, kept the money according to a strict rule, which enabled him to separate the wealth according to his two wives' daughters. Eventually, tired of "pressing blue" (teben buluu), signing with the thumb dipped in blue ink, which was a way of seeking permission to keep cattle in the reserves, he sought to buy land in the Location Seven of Kaptalam near Kabiriirsang next door to super athlete Henry Rono, Olympic champion Wilfred Kipkemboi Bungei and World champion Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei. That land was bought using the money accumulated from dowry. Each wife's daughters' dowry bought so much land, which was divided amongst the sons of each wife in keeping with the Nandi tradition of "ma amei go(t age) go(t)", literally no one home shall feed on/eat of another home. Every home is entitled to own property. My father did not want to leave his Kamelilo people to adopt a new home in Kaptalam at Kabiriirsang.
By not moving, he stayed on as a labourer at Robotson's farm (Koisagat Tea Estate). It was the case of the son inheriting servitude from his father. Talk of a vicious cycle, this is one such.
