Late James Bett’s First Anniversary

The family of the late James Kiprop Bett and friends held his first anniversary in Nairobi's NPC Church, Valley Road. The late James Bett died last year through a fatal road accident near Mbaruk on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

He was a 41 year old, then, the Executive Chairman of Emo Development Society an organization he built from the scratch. The man was a community organizer, articulate, visionary and a leader par excellence. He was an icon and a symbol of a people driven leadership. He was not a politician but a leader. He redefined and reinvented leadership in a way that thrilled the sophisticated and ordinary alike. Through his leadership he brought together the clergy, professionals and political elite through Emo Community Development Society. He brought together bishops from all the denominations, brought together professionals rallying them to forge a powerful economic and social vehicle designed to empower the community.

He took over as the chair of Emo Foundation in 2005.In 2006 Emo had spread up to the Diaspora-US and EU. His ideas and convictions were unparallel among the Kalenjin leadership.
He was a cousin to the late Jean-Marie Seroney a charismatic Nandi leader who distinguished himself as the MP for Tindiret. Seroney was detained in 1978 by the late Jomo Kenyatta together with Martin Shikuku.

Unlike his cousin Marie-Seroney, James Bett used a social organization to empower the people and rally them to fight against poverty and hopelessness.

His rallying points were four pillars the word of God, unity, knowledge and wealth creation. He taught that God should be made the centre of the community, that unity of the community was crucial and pivotal. He taught that knowledge was the foundation of development. He thus encouraged every effort and strategy for acquisition of knowledge. Many professions enrolled in their thousands to pursue higher education. He further taught that a poor community is a powerless and a hopeless one. Hence he encouraged wealth creation through handwork and the use of technology. He encouraged the establishment of industries to create wealth. His ideas were refreshing, progressive and empowering.

Bett used the multi-media to reach the people. He embraced tools of digital and information age. He used the radio, the internet, the CD and DVD. He used songs, mother tongue, English and Kiswahili to reach the hearts and the minds of the people.

He also had seen the treasure of Kerio Valley as a tourist and horticultural paradise. He had encouraged the Kerio Valley communities to work with Kenya Wildlife Service to tap into the wildlife wealth in the region.

The man was an entrepreneur, an intellectual, a writer and a speaker-he would speak for hours without boring his audience. Indeed the man died at the threshold of his career. His vision had just emerged. His death was a great loss to the ordinary folks.

The man crisscrossed every ridge of Rift Valley making peace between the warring communities. He played a crucial and pivotal role in the reconciliation and peacemaking after the post election violence whose epicentre was in the North Rift. He convened peace meetings between Kalenjin and Kikuyu communities. He used every opportunity to preach peace.

James Bett was in the forefront seeking for viable projects for the youth to make them feel they are part of Kenya. He had rallied local and international donors to help sponsor youth projects in the North Rift. He thus died at a time his leadership was needed most.

He was never radical yet his teachings brought about radical transformation.
Like his cousin Seroney he was a selfless leader. Current Kalenjin leaders were nowhere near this man’s ideals and ideas.

His death was a blow to his community. His leadership was akin to that of the late Bishop Alexander Muge- a leader who was driven by the needs and aspirations of the people. He was a prototype of the Nandi legendary Koitalel Samoei-a leader who was ready to die defending his community’s dignity and integrity. He appeared before the Waki Commission and gave ten reasons why post election violence was not pre-planned. On the other hand he loved the people across the board. He had friends across ethnic divide, just like his cousin Seroney who had friends and comrades across national spectrum.

He told residents of Rift Valley to consolidate land. He taught them that land subdivision was a high way to societal decay and destruction. He encouraged families to stop subdividing their farms into tiny unviable units.