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 the 21st century: What role does education play in society? What role does luck play in success?
Like any other peri-urban center in rural Kenya, sanitation may at times be wanting given our propensity to fail to plan for our populations.Moreover, Matisi, like many urban centers in Trans Nzoia is rather densely populated, as most of the available land is reserved for maize and sugar plantations. My estimates would be something like 4,000 people packed over the stretch, tightly hugging the highway, housed in mud walled structures.
Economic activity at Matisi, Trans Nzoia County
There is that odd two storied complex but the shops are largely of mgongo kwe embwa type. Charcoal trading is a mainstay here. The 2kg gorogoro that goes for 50 bob upwards in most urban centers should set you back 25 bob or so.Pray tell, the charcoal source be Mt. Elgon forest. So are there also numerous small holder dry maize ‘warehouses’ handling grain from surrounding farms and neighboring Uganda. It is said Kenyans have leased large tracts of land at the foot of the mountain.
Just at the edge of the town, just before you get to the expansive ADC Trans Nzoia farms, you can get yourself some Engokho at reasonable prizes from traders by the roadside. Last time I checked, a mwera went for 350-550 bob, a jogoo for 450-650.
Population demographics at Matisi
Demographically, Matisi is representative of the cosmopolitan Trans Nzoia county. Far removed from the reality around Kenya, there is only one entertainment spot.
It’s housed in the urban center’s only storied building. Strange as it might be, Trans Nzoia is not particularly known for its entertainment spots. Save for the members only, politician frequented Kitale Club, for many years a night out in Kitale town meant crowding up in the towns only worthy night spot 5 Gb club.
