Inside look into Dp Ruto family Roots from Kiptere, Kericho County
Daniel Samoei Kipruto araap Cheruiyot, DP William Ruto’s father, was born in Kericho in 1914 to Mzee Cheruiyot araap Chumba, who later moved to Ziwa in Nandi in the late 1960s. They belonged to the Kapkomoseek clan, whose animal totem was Kibiegen (baboon). In Nandi, the Kapkomoseek Clan is known as Kapsato, and it broke from the bigger family when they relocated there in the early 1800s. Cheruiyot araap Chumba was the son of Maruri araap Cheruto, the last born son of Cheruto araap Maina, one of the earliest Kipsigis headmen appointed in 1905 and serving until his death in 1911.
Chebukwo Obot Temoet, DP’s grandmother, was a Kipkenda clan daughter. Cheruto araap Maina was the son of Maina araap Chibweri, the son of Chibweri, Wareko’s brother. Sato’s grandfather was Wareko (hence Kapsato of Nandi).
Cheruto araap Maina was a gazetted headman of Kericho’s Location 1 (Kiptere) appointed in 1905 by Kericho DC Hugh B. Partington. He was appointed for his superb command of war soldiers and had amassed vast fortune by modern standards. He was assigned to serve for Orkoiyot Kipchomber araap Koilegen, who was designated as the Kipsigis’ Paramount Chief in 1905.
He was appointed for his superb command of war soldiers and had amassed vast fortune by modern standards. He was assigned to serve for Orkoiyot Kipchomber araap Koilegen, who was designated as the Kipsigis’ Paramount Chief in 1905. He did, in fact, accompany Koilegen to Mombasa for the King’s birthday celebrations in 1906, and he can be seen in the iconic photograph in which Koilegen is turbaned.
Cheruto was a powerful man, and as headman, he was entrusted with collecting hut and poll taxes from the Kipsigis within his control. Cheruto araap Maina was slain in November 1911 while going to collect taxes from one of the sons of a Kisii woman cared for by his father, Maina araap Chibweri.
The family, known as Kapmanaichi, had an obstinate son who refused to pay taxes. Cheruto araap Maina took one of his bulls, drove it to market, and sold it for the tax. The enraged young man arrived at the bar where Cheruto was drinking that evening and speared him from behind. So a renowned chief of the Kipsigis tribe died.
Partington noted Cheruto araap Maina’s death in his diaries, and the Kericho District Political Record of 1911, which is housed at the Kenya National Archives, confirms this. The peculiar thing about the death was that it occurred among clan members, yet if he had been slain by an outsider, blood money would have had to be paid. There was no blood money in this place. Kipkurui araap Maina had a son the following year, 1912, and named him Kipkilel araap Kirui in honor of his brother. Kipkilel was baptized into the Catholic church in Kipchimchim in July 1950 and became firm friends with his cousin Daniel araap Cheruiyot, the son of his uncle Cheruiyot araap Chumba.
Kipkurui araap Maina, Simeon’s father, was the younger brother of Cheruto araap Maina and the older brother of Kenduywo araap Maina. Their mother’s name was Nyariki, and she was the first wife of Maina araap Chibweri. Taptechmet, their sister, was married to Kipchomber araap Koilegen and was the mother of Kiboin araap Sitonik (father of the late Eli Sigilai and others).
