Kisumu, 18/10/2007
 
OBITUARY - DR. TAAITTA ARAAP TOWEETT

 
DEATH HAS ROBBED KENYA OF A SELFLESS, DEDICATED AND PRINCIPLED LEADER
 
By Leo Odera Omolo
 
The cruel hand of death has once again robbed Kenya one of her most illustrious son, a distinguished great scholar and a principled politician in the name of Dr.Taiita Araap Towett.
 
I come to know this diminutive, but principled politician in 1952 while I was employed by a Kipsigis family as a herds boy in the then location one (Belgut) in the old Kericho district.
 
Elisha Kipyegon Araap Towett had just graduated with a diploma and fresh from his studies at Makerere College Uganda . He was employed by the colonial authorities as a welfare officer in Kericho district .At the time of his death Toweett left behind a string of University degrees which include a PhD. Most of his degrees were obtained through home studies.
 
Towett was at the same time the editor of Quarterly government published venarcular magazine in Kipsigis dialect Ngalek Ap Kipsigisiek.The magazine ceased publication when Elisha Arap Towett was transferred to Nandi district in the same capacity the following year.
 
It was at this time when Dr.Towett had discovered that although I had no formal education I was extremely intelligent and talented young boy. He soon realized that I was already equipped with thorough knowledge of various vernacular local languages like Kalenjin ,Kikuyu,Kisii,Luo and Luhyia.
 
He then asked me to become a regular contributor of humorous stories in Kipsigis language for his magazine. He was paying me 10/- per article of 2000 words whereas my monthly salary as a herdsboy was only 12/- per month. Perhaps this was the turning point in my life and led to my journalistic prowess.
 
Towett married his first wife the late Mama Rachel Chemibei from Chebwon area of Belgut in 1952.
 
I started frequenting his Kericho town house quite often, especially during weekends just for the purpose of reading different type of newspapers such as Baraza,Tazama and his Ngalek ,Ap Kipsigis magazines.I could also see the then a broad sheet copies of the East Africa Standard, but I had nothing to do with the English daily because I had no slightest  knowledge of English words. Truly speaking he was my mentor!!
 
I lost contact with Towett briefly when he was transferred to Kapsabet in Nandi district in late 1953 Kericho district was then still in Nyanza Province administratively.
 
I also moved out of the Kipsigis reserve area in what the present is known as Kapsaus division where I had worked as a herdsboy engaged by the late Pastor Joseph Arap Byegon and his wife Mama Ludia Byegon for several years.
 
I still maintain warm relationship with the family to date. It was my employer who encouraged me to learn how to read and write at home. He used to buy me a weekly copy of the Baraza and the story that struck me most was about the Kapenguria trial of Jomo Kenyatta and six other nationalists and freedom fighters.
 
Towett asked me to translate and write the version of the proceedings from Kiswahili to Kipsigis version. The trial was given well coverage by Baraza the swahili pioneer weekly the lead news of the time. It was then published by its sister English paper the EA standard He gave me a nickname as the Kibungweret (a mist)
 
But I was re-united with the Towetts once again in 1957.this time around Towett was a candidate contesting the Southern Nyanza seat in the Colonial Legislative Council.
 
He used to traverse the vast rough terrain in the region using a motorbike as his mode of transport. He regularly carried me with him wherever he went so that I could act as his interpreter of Kiswahili-Dholuo or Kiswahili-Kegusii vernaculars as he went to campaign vigorously in the old larger South-Nyanza region.
 
He was contesting the Southern Nyanza seat against the late Orinda Sibuor,Lawrence Gerald Oguda, George Joseph Bonga,John Kabaso.Although he was the most enlightened and highly educated ,the former primary school teacher Oguda triumphed due to numerity of the Luo votes followed by Kebaso,Bonga,Towett and Orinda Sibuor.
 
Other winners of that personel graduated voting system were A. O. Odinga (Central Nyanza) Henry Masinde Muliro (North Nyanza) Daniel T Moi (Rift Valley) Benard Mate (Central Province) James Nzau Mumi (Ukambani) and Ronald Gedion Ngala (Coast Province)
 
The eight African elected members of Legco immediately demanded for abolition of “Littleton Plan” and agitated for increased African representation in the Colonial Legco which was then dominated by the White Settlers, ex-officio MLCs, Asians and Arabs.
 
The following year in June the new Colonial Secretary Mr. Allan Lenoxboyd succumbed to the native demand and increased the number of African MLCs from original 8 to14. Towett stood for election in the Southern electoral area which then covered Kericho and part of Narok districts and won on June 16, 1958..
 
Towett won the election along with Francis J Khamisi (Mombasa) J.J Nyagah (Central Province) Justus Kondit Ole Tupis (Central Rift), David Ngati Mumo (Machakos) and Dr.Julius Gokonyo Kiano (Central province)
 
Despite of his most illustrious academic achievements Towett whom I have known as a bookworm person displayed no sign of arrogance that usually accompanying other people of his social status in the society. He remained simple and humble and clean hearted man.
 
In the 1960-1961 Towett formed what was Christened Kalenjin Political Alliance Party which later become allied to KADU.I served him briefly as a personal assistant and composer of Kipsigis entertainment songs in his praise during the 1961 snap election which pitted KADU against KANU. This time he stood against Mista Mista Araap Korir (KANU) and the late Barmalel Tamason (Independent) He won with the record majority of votes of 58,491 to represent the entire Kipsigis community in the Legco.
 
KANU won more seats in the Legco, but its leaders the late Samuel Gichuru ,Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Tom Mboya who were invited to take part in a newly formed government with Governor of Kenya Sir Patrick Muir Renson flatly refused to participate in the government on condition that Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and  other nationalist who were then languishing in  colonial jails and restriction camps in Nothern Kenya were unconditionally released.
 
Ngala,Moi ,Muliro and Towett accepted the invitation and formed minority transitional government and were made ministers
 
It was while Towett was serving as Land and Physical Planning Ministers when he told a mammoth crowd of Kipsigis who had besieged him at a public rally at Sosiot in Belgut when he made his now famous remarks saying that ‘’Those who want free land should go to and settles in Sahara Desert, because there was plenty of disused land in t he desert.
 
Towett was very honest with his people.He told them to form small land buying companies and buy big farms in the then White highlands.
 
This at the same time happened while his neighbour and friend Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was telling his Luo followers that when Kenya becomes an independent country the land will be plenty and free for every landless Kenyan. Jaramogi his people that the White settlers who had stolen it from Africans and occupied the much fertile land would be chased away by an African post independent government.
 
This was an eye-opener to the Kipsisgis people. Most of them bought farms in the White highlands, and settled many families in areas like Londiani, Sotik, Kitale, Eldoret, Molo, Kedowa and Lembwa.
 
Towett later married another young beautiful girl called Rachel with whom they lived at his Sotik farm. He also bought a farm at Kokwet in the Londiani area where he became the first black farmer among the White settlers.
 
He later married his third first wife Elizabeth from Nandi and eventually married Anne (Mama Nigeria ) from Sabaot or Sebei whom he settled in Ngomwet farm in Keleges near Awasi -Muhoroni area. His first wife Rachel died a couple of years ago and was buried at his first home near Kericho T.T.C. the second wife Rachel was buried at his Sotik farm which is located next to the KCC milk plant.
 
The veteran politician had a total of 31 children and had homes in Kericho town,Kamurei near Kiplong  Sotik,Chomosot,Ngomwet and near Ngata farm in Nakuru before finally establishing another home at Darajani near Nakuru town. He died when he was in the process of building a rural home on a piece of land near Litein his birthplace.
 
Towett was born a mixture of Kipsigis and Kisii blood.His late father Mzee Arap Maero who died ten years ago aged about 120 originally came from Mokomoni area of North Mugirango in Kisii where he and his younger brother were seized and captured by a group of Kipsigis morans who had gone out on cattle rustling expedition in Kisii region.
 
 
Soon after independence Dr. Toweett shocked the nation when he suddenly resigned from otherwise then safe Buret Constituency seat. This happened when KADU leaders Ngala, Moi and Muliro resolved to dissolve the opposition party in the interest of national unity and joined hands with KANU.
 
Toweett thought otherwise. He went ahead to consult and sought confirmation of the electorate if he would switch to KANU by abandoning KADU a party whose members had voted him into parliament in 1963.He resigned in huff blaming his colleagues in KADU for killing democracy in Kenya.
 
He then went home and sought for fresh mandate from the electorate in the by-election that followed Mr. Toweett lost his Buret seat to Mr. Alexander Arap Rai a former primary school teacher but he recaptured it in 1969.
 
Dr. Toweett hates politics of intrigues and malice. He never entertained stupid gossips or names calling conversations. He nursed no grudge against or towards an opponent in politics and believes in the essence of democratic principles.
 
In return of his tireless and cordial relation that existed between two of us spanning to 50 years I helped him get a PhD degree in Linguistic from the Nairobi University in English Dho – Luo!! as a good gesture of our long standing friendship.
 
Dr. Towett was among the last surviving nationalists and heroes who participated in the Lancestor House Round Table Constituency Conference in both 1960 and 1962 which ushered in political independence. The other survivors are former President Daniel Arap Moi, J.J. Nyagah, J.M. Shikuku and Robert S. Matano.
 
His remains will be interred in a mausoleum to be constructed at his Ngata farm near Nakuru. Plan to his death will that his body be handed to the University of Nairobi,Makerere or a University in South Africa for research purposes did not materialize due to lack of a written and completed death will.
 
Born in 1924 and despite of his advanced age Dr. Toweett still remembered his school and collegemate like Prof. Douglas Odhiambo, the late Mr. Chrisantus Patrick Ogari of Kisii, Mzee Dan Nyanjom of Gem and others with whom he shared school and studies at Kabianga, Alliance High School and Makerere College in the late 1930, 1940s and 1950s.
 
Perhaps the most efficient Education Minister Kenya has ever had since independence in 1963. Dr. Toweett succumbed to fatal injuries he received following a fatal road accident near Nakuru town two weeks ago. His death shocked everyone including his old friend and age mate Daniel T. Arap Moi.
 
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com