Do you know of a town in Mulembe, vibrant and growing, that sits at the confluence of major roads and is plainly called Makutano? We scoured the landscape of the former Western province and couldn’t find one. Our diversity in language and expressiveness, this parts of Kenya, means that we could never. And so we […]
Vibrant during the heydays of Pan Paper, Webuye almost sunk under the weight of economic depression. The collapse of Pan Paper destroyed families, killed dreams and lead to early deaths. But a corner of it defiantly kept kicking on. Its pulse raced largely thanks to the entrepreneurial zest of a woman: Dina Nasiku Kibunguchy. It
The story of a piece of infrastructure and how its transformation threatens to not only rename a place, but redefine it. This is the story of Chavakali junction. Across the republic, there are dozens of market places and vibrant towns that go by the name Makutano. The all have one transport feature that’s also present
CHAVAKALI JUNCTION, What’s in a name? Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow Read More »
By the 1962 census, Bungoma had a population of 1589. In the early eighties, this had swelled to circa 26,000. By then, starting in the late 60’s and early 70’s, the town’s residential spaces became increasingly stretched. This followed the Trade Licensing Act Number 63 of 1967 which led to Africanisation of trade. With expansion
At its former location, just off the Eldoret- Malaba highway – at the base of that last dip as you rise towards Kanduyi from Sikata – Sarasa Cottages and Campsite Bungoma, wasn’t the bustling Western town’s biggest secret. In plain view and within earshot of heavy truck traffic traversing the northern corridor, that spot was
Sarasa Cottages and Campsite: Bungoma’s Best Kept Secret Read More »
Chavakali, the cheap thrills capital of Vihiga county is in line for a serious facelift with the ongoing construction of the Kisumu-Kakamega-Webuye-Kitale highway. That is, at least going by local legend, before being overshadowed by the Majengo interchange/overpass, whose construction is yet to begin. If urbanization is about u-turn lanes and gigantic several lane roundabouts
Kisumu-Kakamega-Webuye-Kitale Highway takes form as Chavakali junction takes shape Read More »
On your way out of Trans Nzoia county headquarters, Kitale town, towards Endebess at the foot of Mt. Elgon on the Kenya-Uganda border; Matisi town straddles the ‘highway’ over a stretch of a kilometer thereabouts. Here, deep in mulembe, we find a Saboat saying that however aged, distills the answer to questions that still dog
Sights & Sounds Of Trans Nzoia: Rare Wisdom From Matisi Read More »
When I took this picture, it was dead in the night. A champions league night filled with the joys of youth and vitality of campus life. What struck me about this butchery was that in spite of it being the only butchery in Kefinco, the proprietor had gone to great lengths to advertise and attract
Graffiti painting on one of the steel doors leading into one of the many entertainment spots at Nalongo Busia Uganda tells the story of a place oft patronized but rarely admittedly so. The soldiers represent the Ugandan state. In Nalongo, they are there to maintain order, but not the law. She of white eyes and mouth
Knowing Nalongo Busia Uganda – Sex, Alcohol & Power – Through Graffiti Art Read More »
