Ex-Chief Walks 65km in White Kanzu For Forgotten Late HERO Athlete Bartonjo Rotich
For the people of Baringo watching him pass, his dusty shoes are a reminder: legends don't die, they are just forgotten - until someone decides to walk.
By Joseph Kangogo
Braving through the scorching sun along Marigat - Mogotio road, a lone figure in a long white kanzu walks with a flag held high.
He is 66-year-old Joseph Chebii Malatit, retired Senior Assistant Chief from Salawa, Kimoso Sub-Location, Kabarnet-Soin Location in Baringo Central.
He is not walking for politics. He is not walking for money.
He is walking for a hero. Malatit began his heroic 65-kilometre trek today at 3am in the morning from Kormotot area of Salawa. His destination is Mogotio.
His purpose is to demand recognition for Kenya's forgotten athletics legend, the late Bartonjo Rotich.
Rotich made history at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, winning bronze in the 440 yards hurdles - one of Kenya's first ever medals on the world stage.
He was part of the team that paved the way for Kenya's dominance, culminating in the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Yet decades later, the veteran athlete remains unhonoured by both county and national government.
"Our hero is suffering in silence while we cheer new champions," Malatit says. His itinerary is punishing for a 66-year-old.
Speaking to Rural Times at the start of his three-day mission to meet Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi, Malatit said he will spend Sunday night in Marigat, pick up the second leg to Emining on Monday morning, and complete the final stretch to Mogotio on Wednesday.
As seen in the photos, Malatit carries only a backpack and two flags - one white with bold red, black and green lettering: HERO ATHLETE BARTONJO ROTICH.
His shirt carries a clear message: Honour Hero, Kabarnet Stadium, Bartonjo Rotich. At the bottom: "Balozi Wa Mguu Kenya" - an ambassador on foot.
"This is a peace walk for all athletes in the world," he says, "but also a protest against forgetting."
The mission aims to draw the attention of relevant authorities to Rotich's contribution and to push for the renaming or dedication of Kabarnet Stadium, currently under construction, in his honour, alongside a house and pension.
Ex-Baringo assistant Chief Joseph trekking 65 kilometres from Kabarnet to Mogotio to honour unrecognised athletics heros
Malatit's planned meeting with Governor Cheboi is expected to be the climax of the walk - a chance for a retired chief who once served the government to now petition it, on foot, for a fellow elder who served the nation.
For the people of Baringo watching him pass, his dusty shoes are a reminder: legends don't die, they are just forgotten - until someone decides to walk.
Mzee Bartonjo Rotich died on 7th October 2019 at his home in Ainabkoi, Baringo North, aged 81.
So the trek by Joseph Chebii Malatit is actually for posthumous recognition - to honour his legacy.
Rotich was Kenya's pioneer born on 25 May 1938 in Baringo District and he was First Kenyan ever to win an international athletics medal - bronze in 440 yards hurdles at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff - Competed at 1956 and 1960 Olympics.
He later became Chairman of Athletics Kenya from 1968 to 1972.
Kabarnet Stadium currently under construction
Malatit now walks 65km in 2026 to ask for Kabarnet Stadium under construction to be named after him, showing he was never properly honoured even after his death.
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