The Dying Kiambu Village shopping Centers

[KenyanPlato]

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Growing up each family in my village had an average 6 kids. My family was 7 kids; we are currently five, two of my brothers died. One was killed in india and another died at age 3 years. Anyway I just looked at the census and the village population reported is 6K. However due to migration the actual natives population should be at around 18,000.

One thing is apparent the only young people left in my village are those unambitious and illiterate lot. Anyone who could get out left. there newbies from Nairobi who have bought land there but they do not live there, they are actually parents with kids abroad who buy them land and build mansions that stay empty with only workers

My own shopping center hasn't expanded since my dad built 16 roomed shopping center in 1970. He was drinking there and one day some moron gave him the idea he could build Hotel, butchery, and a bar with lodgings. the bar, butcher and tea cafe have been thriving but lodging never got occupied even a day and they became shelters for village homeless drunkards. We had to lock stocko's uncle there one time after he had been camping in the room for months. We locked him a whole day and then released him and he was the talk of the village on how he was in Kandurumu (CELL) for being a delinquent. I digress

anyway here is a picture of my village shopping center

Love this place it is cold and misty in the morning by afternoon it hits perfect 70 degrees.. We are in climate transition zone. My area we grow tea, 5 kms down the line they grow coffee, 4 kms south they cant grow tea or coffee and rely on fruits (plums, apples, pears and horticulture farming).. very dynamic weather system.

[RV Pundit]

You Know my dad gave me a plot in our center and I sunk lots of money into it...i wanted to build some animal feed thing but I think it wasted Investment as of now.But these things including village mansion are social investment... because of our village heritage.The respect your dad get from those village investment supersede all the hidden wealth in Nairobi pipeline nobody knows.

[KenyanPlato]

No way these are useless ..my dad moved from this village 20 years ago. He was getting robbed daily

[Kadudu]

KenyanPlato, that shopping centre looks tired. Why build a shop in such an area and already the existing ones are just surviving? I never understand the logic of building shops where the existing one are barely selling anything and all seem to sell the same commodities.
The only innovating people I have seen in Kenya are Somalis. They have built supermarkets everywhere and I have a feeling they purchase goods together. Kudos to Somalis for they are in many ways very reliable when it comes to business and seem not to have a hang to swindle partners.

[Rtee]

Please add most of Kiambu. From Kanunga, Ndumberi, Githunguri, Kagwe, Kagaa, Matimbei, Ndeiya.....with the exception of Ruaka.

[Arcadian_Dreamer]

KenyanPlato, that shopping centre looks tired. Why build a shop in such an area and already the existing ones are just surviving? I never understand the logic of building shops where the existing one are barely selling anything and all seem to sell the same commodities.
The only innovating people I have seen in Kenya are Somalis. They have built supermarkets everywhere and I have a feeling they purchase goods together. Kudos to Somalis for they are in many ways very reliable when it comes to business and seem not to have a hang to swindle partners.

There is literally no business that will break even in those places, not enough population or purchasing power.

Historically businesses that thrived in rural areas in Europe were the craft businesses like the scythe makers, farriers, metal smiths, wood turners, leather workers, cloth spinners, cheese makers, etc. There is a dearth of crafts people in Kenya apart from a few Jua Kalis in major cities.
We need to think of vocations for a life time as way to earn a living. Importing substandard Chinese merchandise and reselling it doesn't strike me as innovative or sustainable. We are draining our foreign exchange coffers in the process, contributing to the widening current account deficit.

[hk]

Growing up each family in my village had an average 6 kids. My family was 7 kids; we are currently five, two of my brothers died. One was killed in india and another died at age 3 years. Anyway I just looked at the census and the village population reported is 6K. However due to migration the actual natives population should be at around 18,000.

One thing is apparent the only young people left in my village are those unambitious and illiterate lot. Anyone who could get out left. there newbies from Nairobi who have bought land there but they do not live there, they are actually parents with kids abroad who buy them land and build mansions that stay empty with only workers

My own shopping center hasn't expanded since my dad built 16 roomed shopping center in 1970. He was drinking there and one day some moron gave him the idea he could build Hotel, butchery, and a bar with lodgings. the bar, butcher and tea cafe have been thriving but lodging never got occupied even a day and they became shelters for village homeless drunkards. We had to lock stocko's uncle there one time after he had been camping in the room for months. We locked him a whole day and then released him and he was the talk of the village on how he was in Kandurumu (CELL) for being a delinquent. I digress

anyway here is a picture of my village shopping center

Love this place it is cold and misty in the morning by afternoon it hits perfect 70 degrees.. We are in climate transition zone. My area we grow tea, 5 kms down the line they grow coffee, 4 kms south they cant grow tea or coffee and rely on fruits (plums, apples, pears and horticulture farming).. very dynamic weather system.

This is a clear indication of how rural economy has been decimated by collapse of agriculture. Githunguri town is the exception to this, why cause of the githunguri dairy company which is the backbone of that town. Without a thriving rural economy the towns will become ghost towns.
Plato how far from the main tarmac rd is your rural cetre? In ndeiya some of those old buildings have been transformed to warehouses. 

[KenyanPlato]

Growing up each family in my village had an average 6 kids. My family was 7 kids; we are currently five, two of my brothers died. One was killed in india and another died at age 3 years. Anyway I just looked at the census and the village population reported is 6K. However due to migration the actual natives population should be at around 18,000.

One thing is apparent the only young people left in my village are those unambitious and illiterate lot. Anyone who could get out left. there newbies from Nairobi who have bought land there but they do not live there, they are actually parents with kids abroad who buy them land and build mansions that stay empty with only workers

My own shopping center hasn't expanded since my dad built 16 roomed shopping center in 1970. He was drinking there and one day some moron gave him the idea he could build Hotel, butchery, and a bar with lodgings. the bar, butcher and tea cafe have been thriving but lodging never got occupied even a day and they became shelters for village homeless drunkards. We had to lock stocko's uncle there one time after he had been camping in the room for months. We locked him a whole day and then released him and he was the talk of the village on how he was in Kandurumu (CELL) for being a delinquent. I digress

anyway here is a picture of my village shopping center

Love this place it is cold and misty in the morning by afternoon it hits perfect 70 degrees.. We are in climate transition zone. My area we grow tea, 5 kms down the line they grow coffee, 4 kms south they cant grow tea or coffee and rely on fruits (plums, apples, pears and horticulture farming).. very dynamic weather system.

This is a clear indication of how rural economy has been decimated by collapse of agriculture. Githunguri town is the exception to this, why cause of the githunguri dairy company which is the backbone of that town. Without a thriving rural economy the towns will become ghost towns.
Plato how far from the main tarmac rd is your rural cetre? In ndeiya some of those old buildings have been transformed to warehouses.

Very far a good 15KMs

Githunguri is dynamic due to being surrounded by the backbone of Kiambu economy that is Tea growing zones and Dairy Farming.. Even before Fresha Githunguri was booming

[gout]

Bodaboda guys are the only ones thriving in these rural economies. With the cost of education starting to rise again the penury will get worse.

With good roads network most Kiambu villages can easily transform just like Banana or Wangige and become economic beehives. Githunguri town is only an hour from Nairobi - faster than going to likes of Rongai, Kitengela.

[RV Pundit]

Yes Kiambu and Limuru road needed to be expanded to dual carriage. Uhuru is big failure not to do so. Kenol to Nyeri is NOT a priority like expanding Kiambu road. The next expansion will follow Nairobi - Rironi road - so Njamba village in Kimende - will thrive.


INFRASTRUCTURE IS EVERYTHING.

Bodaboda guys are the only ones thriving in these rural economies. With the cost of education starting to rise again the penury will get worse.

With good roads network most Kiambu villages can easily transform just like Banana or Wangige and become economic beehives. Githunguri town is only an hour from Nairobi - faster than going to likes of Rongai, Kitengela.