MY NYANDARUA – Then and Now
Nyandarua is my home. It is beautiful with gently rolling hills, extensive prairies, heavily wooded areas and plenty of rain. It is a land blessed with rich soil…
Moving to Nyandarua
The people who came to Nyandarua after Independence to purchase land were fairly young and energetic, probably in their late 20s with the oldest ones being in their…
OlKalou My Home Turf
My home is OlKalou, now the Headquaters of Nyandarua County. I am a second generation Nyandaruan, my parents having purchased their piece of land in the mid 1960s.…
OlKalou Name
My siblings and I were not always proud to tell people we were from OlKalou, but dont worry, we have since repented. With our Kikuyunized accent, we all…
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…
Rain Season – Comes in Buckets
Nyandarua rain was epic. It came down in buckets, with bolts of lightening and claps of thunder that terrified both humans and livestock. The rain came in season…
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…
Milking Chores Starting at 4 a.m.
The lush green pastures also meant high milk yields. The cows were well fed, producing plenty of milk. My farm usually produced two 50 liter milk cans from…
Milk: Collection Center
Nyandarua milk had one buyer only. KCC. The Kenya Co-operative Creameries Ltd. The closest KCC plant was in Nyahururu, some 35 kilometers away. Our Cooperative Society had a…
Delivering the Milk
Around 6 am two of my brothers embarked on the trip to the collection center, a chore that they did on a rotational basis so that everybody had…