06/08/2026
Yesterday, I traversed the Mt. Kenya Counties to Isiolo and Moyale for project site visits on some projects am consulting on, being in my annual leave from work.
These are the lessons I learnt all through my journey, our poverty back at home is man made. 🥹
Our people will for the longest time languish in poverty because for the longest time, we haven’t had any priorities to uplift the lives here.
Take a case of Embu, Tharaka Nithi and Meru Counties, leave alone Murang’a, Kiambu, and the rest, the biggest towns in these counties are averagely 30 Kms apart. Each town has a fully fledged University. From Kenya Methodist University (KEMU) to the University of Embu to the Chuka University, Meru University of Science & Technology and the uprising Tharaka University.
Their economy is something else. Booming! These people have mega supermarkets in their urban centres, locally owned! Unlike here where we applause Carrefour for setting out an outlet here. In our town, by 6.00PM the CBD is empty! Pesa thizooo zinenda.
The cash crop processing factories you see on the roadside, wah, am sure mkanju ungekua unamea huko kwao hata mtambo wa makanju hawangekosa, leave alone a cashew processing plant. In Embu, just before Siakago town and after the Kamburu Dam, I saw a big development for Avocado Collection and processing. They named it “From farm to Kitchen.” Kwehu makanju garichirwa ndema. Madafu nago ni mahahu gana ho Chasimba na Mavueni. Boys and women chasing passersby to earn a coin. Absolutely no Value addition for our crops.
I passed through a small trading centre just before Meru town and bought fruits and veggies all fresh from the farm. Women have lined up with all sorts of produce. Mangoes, Oranges, Avocados and everything. Agribusiness and Agriculture had been taken with the seriousness it deserves, their people are busy if not in the farm, they are in class, if not in class they are busy with their businesses in towns. Kuno kwehu hudzarichirwa usogi wa makala. I never saw a boda guy in Mt. Kenya pushing charcoal to towns! You se them trandporting darm produce and other stuff! Thats why their environment is still sustainable to the effects of climate change.
We lack something back at home, honestly we are not poor, we lack something.
Past Nanyuki and Laikipia at large towards Isiolo, the area is dry, more less like Kinango, Hola, Garsen Ganze and Magarini but by the roadside, you see big farm enterprises with Greenhouses that have employed thousands of people! Here at home, its kinda unfortunate. My heart bleeds seeing our young girls and women having it tough, not that they belong to a lesser God, but because a few people chose to make them suffer that way. Our people are not lazy. These folks hulima bana, at one time nikiwa kijana, theres an agricultural practice that was introduced to us in Ganze. Tulichipa Zai Pits. And people really dud it. We are not lazy!
Education is a real time equalizer, but here at home, its still expensive. Very few can afford it. And the few who manage to beat all odds and graduate with certificates, they end up being frustrated by the status quo. Mutu athayari anahale nafasi ailzahe konze ela mwana wa Mbodze na Matsezi asipate. One day I will quit everything and focus in things that will make guys change. Honestly its sickening.
In my space, I have sponsored a number of vulnerable children but thats still not enough. We need working systems such that everyone can be able to fund their needs and more so their educational needs for their children without much a hustle.
I hope one day, the story will change.
