DP William Ruto’s father Daniel Samoei Kipruto araap Cheruiyot was born in 1914 in Kericho, to Mzee Cheruiyot araap Chumba who later moved to Ziwa in Nandi in the late 1960s. They were members of the Kapkomoseek clan – animal totem Kibiegen (baboon). The Kapkomoseek Clan in Nandi is known as Kapsato which split from the larger family when they moved to Nandi in the early 1800s. DPs grandfather was named Cheruiyot araap Chumba who was the son of Maruri araap Cheruto, the last born son of Cheruto araap Maina who was one of the earliest headmen of the Kipsigis appointed in 1905 and serving until his death in 1911. DPs grandmother was named Chebukwo Obot Temoet a daughter of the Kipkenda clan. Cheruto araap Maina was the son of Maina araap Chibweri who was the son of Chibweri the brother of Wareko. Wareko was the grandfather of Sato (hence Kapsato of Nandi).
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Cheruto araap Maina was a gazetted headman of Location 1 (Kiptere) in Kericho appointed by Kericho DC Hugh B. Partington in 1905. He was appointed because of his outstanding leadership of troops of battle and had become enormously wealthy by the standards of his day. He was appointed to work under Orkoiyot Kipchomber araap Koilegen who was appointed Paramount Chief of the Kipsigis in 1905. He in fact accompanied Koilegen to Mombasa in 1906 for the King’s birthday celebrations and he can be seen on the famous photo where Koilegen is turbaned.
Cheruto was a man of great influence and so as the headman, he was tasked to collect hut and poll tax among the Kipsigis under his jurisdiction.
One day in November 1911, Cheruto araap Maina was killed when he went to collect taxes from one of the sons of the Kisii woman who had been under the care of his father Maina araap Chibweri. Kapmanaichi as the family would be known, had a belligerent son who refused to pay taxes. Cheruto araap Maina got one of his bulls and had it driven to market and sold for the tax. The angry young man came to the place where Cheruto was drinking that evening and speared him to death from behind. So died a great chief of the Kipsigis people. Partington mentioned Cheruto araap Maina’s death in his diaries and the same is confirmed by the Kericho District Political Record of 1911 available at the Kenya National Archives. The strange thing about the death was that it happened to members of the same clan whereas if he had been killed by an outsider, blood money would have to be paid. There was no blood money here. The following year 1912, a son was born to Kipkurui araap Maina and to remember his brother, he named the boy Kipkilel araap Kirui..
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In due course, Kipkilel was baptized into the Catholic church at Kipchimchim in July 1950 and became firm friends with his cousin Daniel araap Cheruiyot the son of his uncle Cheruiyot araap Chumba the son of Maruri araap Cheruto the son of Cheruto araap Maina. Simeon’s father Kipkurui araap Maina was the younger brother of Cheruto araap Maina and the older brother of Kenduywo araap Maina. Their mother was named Nyariki, the first wife of Maina araap Chibweri. They had a sister named Taptechmet was married to Kipchomber araap Koilegen and was the mother of Kiboin araap Sitonik (father of the late Eli Sigilai and others).
When Simeon moved to Nandi in 1964 and settled at Kipsiorori village in Kaboi location of Kaptumo division, Daniel followed him there staying with him briefly as he searched for land in Nandi. He stayed at his farm in Kipsiorori village in Kaptumo shortly before moving to Kamagut near Eldoret where he purchased land from the departing Europeans. Before leaving Kericho, Daniel was married Tamunai and had a son named Paul Labose.
When he moved to Kamagut, he married Sarah and William Ruto was born to this union in 1966. William was his fourth child. Seeing that his son had settled in Nandi, Cheruiyot araap Chumba also moved to Uasin Ngishu in 1968, going all the way to Ziwa where he purchased some land. He lived there until his death in 1976. Araap Chumba’s older brother Labose remained in Kericho as did his younger brother named Mbega, who is the father of Job Chirchir (formerly a director at NTSA) and a close ally of DP Ruto. Mzee Cheruiyot araap Chumba had several children among them Maria Keter, Grace Marindich, Nelly Mwei, and the late Joshua ‘Kiptamet’ araap Cheruiyot, Daniel Samoei araap Cheruiyot (DPs father)) and the last born son Philip araap Cheruiyot who lives in Ziwa.
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DPs uncle Joshua ‘Kiptamet’ Cheruiyot moved to Chepkumia where he bought land, married a Nandi woman of Kapsegoi family and joined the African Israel Church Nineveh (hence the nickname ‘Kiptamet’ for his turbans). You have seen that some of DP Ruto’s biggest fans are members of that African Israel Church Nineveh and it is not by default. He has relatives there. DP Ruto’s eldest brother is Paul Labose from his older mother Tamunia. Next are Susan and Elizabeth are from his mother Sarah. DP comes in fourth. After him are late Kiprop, Triza, David and the late Harrison Ruto. From his father’s third wife Leah are Tecla, Samuel, Janet, Philemon, Jonah, Joel. Mzee Daniel Samoei araap Cheruiyot died on March 29, 2008 and was laid to rest at Kamagut.
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