The first time I saw Dr Taita Towett was in the mid-90s. He was leaning on the backside of his white Suzuki and was talking to my father - brown little short man - with glasses on his face.
I had of course read or heard about him. My father had told me after Moi became president - he had held a meeting in Kapkatet historic grounds - and Dr Taita Towett had announced his resignation as Mp of Bureti. Bureti is sister constituency to ours- Konoin. Litein town is like the center.
Dr Taita Towett had opposed Moi with Seroney and many in RV - and had wanted constitution changed (BBI of 70s). Towett an intellectual had no time for Moi - an illiterate. He had joined up with Koinanges and others opposed to dumb Moi. For Towett and Seroney - if Kenyatta wanted a Kalenjin as VP - it would have been either him or Seroney - not the unschooled Moi.
Now their plan had not worked out. Moi had become PORK in 1978 and I think immediately Jean Marie Seroney (he had gone to France for education) had died. Many thought Moi had him murdered or somehow engineered an heart attack.
It was payback time. Moi the man they derided as unschooled was now PORK.
The anti-Moi forces were scampering - Muigai who use to slap and humiliate Moi (he was Nakuru PC or Police Chief) - had run abroad.
What Dr Taita Towett did I think wins Nobel Laurate for cowardice.
After being forced to quit in public rally - and either Prof Ngeno or Speaker Mibei - elected as Mp and promoted - and seeing Moi killing many people - he decided to demonstrate the ultimate surrender.
Moi had named his farm - Kabarak - In Kalenjin, it's mean home in a high place (could also mean HEAVEN)- Taita Towett went and built an underground place, he called it MASHIMONI, quit politics and dedicated his life to studying rodents
Obviously like my father he had no time for Moi but for 24yrs he had to literally live in a cave so Moi would leave him alone.
Ruto is facing a Moi - a scorned Uhuru - who Ruto has severally denigrated as a drunkard - and is determined to prove he is as bad as his father. Uhuru has power. There are two things - either surrender completely like Dr Taita Towett or fight.