New Settlement Scheme
I have fond memories of growing up in Nyandarua back when it was a District of Central Province. Nyandarua is mainly inhabited by “new comers” who relocated from…
Owning Nyandarua
The colonial masters had dealt the entire country a blow with their “Divide and Conquer” strategy. Every tribe was made to fear, and be suspicious of the next…
OlKalou Weather has Changed Alot
Before scientists warned us of Global warming, my parents and other OlKalou farmers already knew something unusual had happened to the weather patterns they knew and experienced in…
Produce – Everywhere You Look
There were plenty of rainy months in Nyandarua with only a handful of dry ones. Nyandarua has a one season harvest. While in Gikuyu they plant their maize…
KCC Returns Perfectly Good Milk
Like the excess produce with no market for it, the Nyahururu KCC was the only buyer of milk from most of Nyandarua. The factory got overwhelmed with the…
Have You Met a Communist?
The collection center is also where the boys heard about Communists. They were told how Communists like to keep their lives private and they are very suspicious of…
Stinging Nettle – Thabai
The only greens that flourished in the drought were some hostile weeds called Thabai. Nyeri people called them Hatha. The English name is Stinging Nettle. One touch of…
Picking Pyrethrum
Kikuyus from Nyeri called it Beniku. We called it Mahuwa, translation flowers, because that is what pyretherum is. It is a daisy like flower with white petals and…
Sheep Shearing
Nyandarua is famous for its sheep. They thrive in the cold Nyandarua temperatures because they have a thick white layer of wool that covers their bodies, keeping them…
Butchers: Gitonga wa Muchiri
OlKalou had only two butcheries. One was exclusively for beef, while the other one sold goat meat only. The one that sold beef was owned by a Mr.…