Shadrack ole Sainepu one of the country’s most versatile Maasai Morans.
In the late 1960s, he was the talk of town. His versatility earned him the distinction of being the only African commercial pilot in East Africa.
Additionally, Sainepu was a skilled and professional cameraman who worked as the main camera operator for the former Voice of Kenya (VOK) and the current Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
Sainepu, nicknamed Loilel by his clan, was born in the Loita plains of Kajiado county. His boyhood was largely spent herding cattle, as is customary for Maasai boys.
However, in his situation, things were slightly different because he had the opportunity to attend school.
Sainepu was picked among three other Maasai boys and accepted into a secondary school in Tanzania to study English, among other topics.
He sneaked out of the neighbouring country over ten times, but the local elders kept sending him back. In an earlier interview, he indicated that Kenyans were unpopular in Tanzania, which is why he used to sneak out.
“The headmaster didn’t like us the Maasai because he had to keep cattle in school to provide us with our special diet. He also regarded us as highly irresponsible because we chose to walk around the bush in our blankets after school hours,” he said.
The Moran fighter later attended Kenya Polytechnic and graduated in 1961 with a City and Guilds qualification in electronics.
His hard-earned academic credentials drew the attention of a British colonialist, who sent him to Rhodesia to train as a film technician while also furthering his studies in electronics.
Also Read:
After learning the skills in the UK, Sainepu returned to Kenya. His advanced skills landed him a slot on Voice of Kenya.
He rose to the position of chief cameraman. He handled VOK’s operations till it became Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
Sainepu’s interest in flying began when he covered the introduction of a new NGO named United purpose Air Training and Transport (UMATT), whose purpose was to provide food and other supplies to Kenya’s rural districts.
His strong desire to fly an aeroplane drove him to approach the UMATT director, a young American, and begged him to teach him how to fly.
He continued to pester him until he consented to educate him. It wasn’t long until Sainepu accumulated the 250 hours of flying experience required for a pilot licence.
Later, he began flying on his own. His first task was to deliver Posta mail to outlying outposts across the country, with occasional miraa-transport errands to Somalia.
Sainepu advanced through the ranks, becoming the first commercial pilot in the entire East African region. In April 1971, he made waves again when he was published in Ebony Magazine, a top-selling US journal.
