Godwin Chepkurgor

Godwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor (c. 1969 – August 1, 2014) was a Kenya freelance journalist and former Nakuru city councillor. In 2000, Chepkurgor offered then U.S. President Bill Clinton a dowry of forty goats and twenty cows in exchange for Chelsea Clinton's hand in marriage.[1][2][3]

Chepkurgor originally wrote to President Clinton offering the dowry of goats and cows during Clinton's 2000 visit to Kenya.[1][2] According to Muliro Telewa, a reporter for the BBC, the number of animals offered in the dowry was very generous by Kenyan standards.[1] Chepkurgor drew worldwide attention and headlines when he publicly disclosed his offer for her hand in marriage in 2005.[1][2] He told The Standard in a 2005 interview that, "Had I succeeded in wooing Chelsea, I would have had a grand wedding...I would have invited South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu to preside at the ceremony."[2] His letter drew scrutiny from Kenyan authorities, who conducted background checks of his friends and family.[2] He was summoned for a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he declined to attend.[2]

On December 2, 2006, married his wife and college classmate, Grace Chepkurgor, at a ceremony held at the Kabarak University Chapel in Nakura.[3] The couple had four children.[3]

In 2009, another Kenyan journalist brought up the subject of the 2000 marriage proposal to then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a town hall meeting with reporters.[1] After a pause, Secretary Clinton replied saying, "My daughter is her own person. I will convey this very kind offer."[1] Chepkurgor expressed happiness that his original marriage offer had been renewed in an interview with the BBC.[1] Chepkurgor added at the time that his first wife, Grace, "did not object" to his proposal to Chelsea Clinton.[1]

Godwin Chepkurgor was killed in an elephant attack on August 1, 2014, while on assignment for the Kass Weekly magazine.[2] Chepkurgor was in Ol-debes village, Mogotio, Baringo County, covering the story of a herd of African elephants which had been bothering local communities.[2][3] He was taking pictures of the elephants when a male bull ambushed him from behind, trampled him and threw him in the air with his truck.[2] Chepkurgor landed on some stick which caused abdominal injuries.[2] Kenya Wildlife Service officers were finally able to drive the elephants away to rescue Chepkurgor.[3] He was taken to Rift Valley General Hospital in Nakura where he died from his injuries at the age of 45.[2][3] He was survived by his wife and four children.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Kenyan renews Chelsea goat offer". New York Times. 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2014-08-31.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Kenyan journalist who once offered Bill Clinton 40 goats for Chelsea's hand in marriage is trampled to death by an elephant". Associated Press. Daily Mail. 2014-08-06. Retrieved 2014-08-31.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mabatuk, Vicent (2014-08-02). "Kenyan man who wanted to 'marry' Bill Clinton's daughter passes on". The Standard (Kenya). Retrieved 2014-08-31.
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