BARINGO'S ORRORIN TUGENESIS ROUTES BACK 21 YEARS LATER

allocated funds to construct ongoing museum premise in Kipsaraman to completion.

"We thank Kitonga for taking care and placing our heritage in safe custody, Museums is now a devolved function under amended constitution 2010 and it is about time now we reclaim back our natural resource" Cheboi said.

He said he will sit down with stakeholders to discuss on formula to ensure the fossil, a high tourists attraction facility, is maximised to benefit local community, County government and Kenya at large.

Kitonga, our communities will reap from their heritage" Aengwo said.

Chebon termed it a new dawn saying through the tourism resource, roads and businesses will be opened.

"We feel happy and expect this thing will now be put to rest and will not be mentioned on bad light again" he said.

Reason to smile as Baringo's 6.7m-year-old oldest man scientifically known as 'Orrorin Tugenesis' fossil now finds way back home.

The fossil discovered by French scientists back in 2001 and has for the last 21years been in the custody of Nairobi-based Community Museums of Kenya (CMK) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eustus Kitonga.

"It is true I have since been looking after the safety of Orrorin Tugenesis fossil as far as heritage of our country Kenya is concern" Kitonga said.

He spoke recently while he met Governor Benjamin Cheboi in his office to discuss plans to return the fossil back.

Kitonga cited 1.1m-year-old 'King man' fossil in China discovered by American scientist in 1944, it later got lost to date without trace.

Historically, the Orrorin Tugenesis fossil was discovered in 2001 by a team of French scientists led by palaeontologist Brigitte Senut and Geologist Martin Pickford in Rondinin village along Tugen Hills, Baringo North.

Museum was then constructed at Kipsaraman in Saimo-Kipsaraman ward to store the fossil, but it was substandard.

"I am ready to hand over the fossil back to Baringo once permanent house is completed" Kitonga said.

He futher said as soon as the facility is in place he will release the fossil (Orrorin Tugenesis) in accompany of 50,000 other fossils found alongside it.

However Governor Cheboi said already his administration has

"We will partner with museums Kenya and professions to research for more fossils and make Kipsaraman Museum a learning institution" Cheboi said.

Saimo-Soi Kipsaraman Ward MCA John Aengwo together with his Saimo-Soi counterpart Michael Chebon lauded for engaging talks with Kitonga to return back the fossil.

"For sure our communities in Saimo-Soi and Kipsaraman these have lost alot but never the less with assurance of Governor Cheboi and

Sikika Community Based Organisation(CBO) Chairman Evans Mengich earlier said he had accompanied a team of county government officials and the museum curator to CMK headquarters in Nairobi where they confirmed the fossil is actually in safe custody.

“It only awaited construction of a model structure in Kipsaraman before being released back to the community” he said.

‘Orrorin Tugenensis’ is a Tugen language meaning the ‘Original Man’ in the region is one of the oldest human, the size of a chimpanzee with small teeth and thick enamel similar to the modern humans.

Researchers also found-along with the mysterious Orrorin Tugenesis fossil some 50,000 native fossils aged 6.0 and 6.2million years old.