Bringing down History & Archaeology from the Ivory Tower Topic: Koitalel’s Kin: Identity, Autochthony & the Occult in Kenya’s Western Highlands Speaker: Prof. David M. Anderson Date: Thursday October 26th 2:30 pm EAT, 8:60 pm KST
Anderson is a Professor of African History, University of Warwick, UK. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and previously taught at the University of Oxford. In the 1980s, Anderson was a Research Associate here at the Department of History & Archaeology, University of Nairobi. His research interests have been, mainly, on the history of colonial counter-insurgency in Kenya. In this presentation, Anderson will focus on Kimnyole Koitalel arap Samoie, the Nandi orkoiyot (occult leader) who led his people in their fight against British colonial conquest, only to be treacherously shot while under a flag of truce. Samoie stands out among the pantheon of Kenya’s heroes of early colonial resistance and his influence, through his kin (the current orkoiik), among the Kalenjin has stood the test of time. Anderson argues that the wider history of the orkoiik remains a Kalenjin concern that is not much understood beyond Kenya’s Western Highlands. This presentation will highlight significant themes in that history, positioning it at the centre of Kenya’s colonial and post-colonial experience. The trajectory of this history links the pre-colonial past of the early nineteenth century to the present, emphasising the continuing importance of the cultural practice and belief but also indicating how these evolve and develop over time. For Onsite Participants: Venue: University of Nairobi Towers, 4th Floor, Room MLT04. Time: 2.30pm EAT, Thursday October 26th, 2023.
For Online Participants: Please register on: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkdeyopzgiG9R3gZZwa7
Below is a link to the Department of History and Archaeology, University of Nairobi, youtube channel on where you can watch and litsen to the presentation :
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