120 years later, secrets of Nandi resistance shrine revealed

Mokong Hill, perched on the rugged Nandi Escarpment in Aldai, has remained largely untouched for nearly 120 years. The hill, with its rocky outcrops and dense thickets, stands as a silent witness to a turbulent past, not far from the Nandi-Kisumu border.

Among the hidden gems of this hill is a cave that has long been regarded as a cultural shrine by the Nandi. For decades, it has been a sacred place, accessible only to a select group of elders, particularly from the Talai clan, who visited for rituals and prayers.

It has emerged that the cave served as a refuge for the Nandi warriors, led by commanders who were empowered by the community’s prophet and leader, Orkoiyot Koitalel arap Samoei, during the Nandi resistance against British between 1890 and 1905.

From a distance, the cave appears ominous: a massive rock, suspended precariously on smaller stones, serves as the entrance to a narrow, seemingly bottomless void. This cave is believed to have been the command centre for the Nandi’s resistance efforts. The Nandi warriors used the site to strategise against the British, and it also served as an armory for storing weapons.

Inside the cave, bats flutter, while remnants of the past lie scattered across the floor. Broken pots, believed to have been used as utensils by the Nandi fighters, lie in disarray. A cache of rusting weapons adds to the eerie atmosphere, echoing the cave’s role in the struggle for independence.

It was only last Friday that the current generation, who have only learned about the Nandi resistance through books and oral history, were made aware of the cave’s significant role in the fight for freedom. The cave’s multiple sections have been fashioned to resemble parts of a traditional Nandi cultural hut, with a Kitarut (mud bed), a Kobitoi (firewood store), and broken pots scattered across the floor as if frozen in time, representing a moment in history just before the brutal assassination of Koitalel in 1905.

For years, Mokong Hill was a forbidden place, visited only by elders for cultural ceremonies and prayers. According to elders, British soldiers had initially spared the area, but tragedy struck when hundreds of Nandi warriors and their livestock were massacred there.

Following these horrific events, the residents fled. Women were specifically barred from approaching the sites where members of a family known as the Kapkoimur were murdered in 1904, a year before the death of Koitalel arap Samoei.

Rev. Cosmas Talam, a local cleric, recently announced that the area around the cave has now been cleansed and is open to women and children. Talam has called for the preservation of the cave as a heritage site, suggesting that it could be developed as a tourist destination.

“The community is committed to conserving this historic site, despite its remote location,” said Rev. Talam. “We urge both the county and national governments to establish an educational institution in the name of Arap Koimur, the man who guided Nandi fighters in the resistance against the colonial government.”

The land around the cave is now largely grazing ground, unsuitable for farming.

Chepng’ok Koimur arap Koros, a descendant of the Koimur family, shared that the Talai clan traces its origins back to Egypt around 1600, migrating through Sudan, Uganda, Mt. Elgon, and eventually settling in Bonjoge. They were among the first inhabitants of the hilly terrain in Nandi.

The caves provided a secure hideout for the Talai clan, who could observe the Nyando plains below. Whenever British soldiers attempted to encroach on Nandi territory, the Talai clan would sound the alarm, preventing the colonial forces from advancing.

“The British made several failed attempts to invade,” said Koros. “Arap Koimur would warn the community, and the Nandi Morans would repel the attacks, much to the frustration of the colonial forces.”

In 1904, during the height of the Nandi rebellion, the British declared a state of emergency and specifically targeted those who formed the backbone of the community’s resistance leadership, including Koitalel.

“They ambushed Mokong Cave, where they massacred Arap Koimur, a number of warriors, and butchered hundreds of livestock,” Koros recounted.

After this tragic event, the cave became a forbidden place, shrouded in fear and superstition.

“Koimur family descendants and community elders first visited the cave in 2019, performing cleansing rituals to remove the spirits of those who were killed,” Koros explained.

In addition to Mokong Hill, there are other historical sites in the region, such as the Koiyo caves, which bear the footprints of Orkoiyot Koitalel, and Kipsaboi Hill, once a strategic watchtower for Nandi warriors.

Rev Talam emphasised the importance of recognising and preserving these historical landmarks.