Chief Apollo
He was the local Chief and he was very visible everywhere in OlKalou town. He was a short hefty man who drove a green pick up truck whose…
Meeting J.M. Kariuki
AC Primary is where I accompanied my mother to attend a J.M. Kariuki rally in mid 1970s. I had heard the name J.M. Kariuki and now I was…
Power of A Chief
We got to know the power of the Chief’s office during National Days. First, every business in town was supposed to hang the Kenyan flag at the front…
Caught In The Crosshairs
For us who visited town only once in a while, sent by our very strict parents, our mission was clear. Walk as fast as our legs could carry…
Johana wa Noe: Homemade Yarn
Johana was a short man who worked and lived in some wooden houses at the backside of town, near the railway tracks. People from our Settlement Scheme sometimes…
Johana: Butter Bean Trader
Johana was not just known for making yarn. He was also the largest, probably the only buyer of Butter Beans (Noe) in OlKalou. That is how he got…
Kanyuri: Madathi ma Kanyuri
I am not sure I ever met Kanyuri, but I have never forgotten his name. He ran a hotel in OlKalou and was famous for making the best…
No Eating in Town
Personally, I have never entered any hotel in OlKalou town and sat down to eat anything. We were trained like that growing up and it stuck with me…
Coke or Pepsi, Fanta or Tarino
Our younger generation may wonder which soda brands I am referring to above. Before Coca Cola dominated the soft drink market in Kenya, driving Pepsi out of business,…
No Money For Us – Ever
The other reason we never ate anything in town was the simple fact that we never had any money. Ever. Our parents made sure of that. To be…