Makueni is More Than Just Mangoes

 ‘Mmmh, Makueni, what about it? Is it mango season already?’ When people think of Makueni County, the first thing that comes to mind is mangoes and a dry, region suffocated by drought. But how far from the truth that is! Ukambani is so much more. It is a beauty in the rain and yes, we are famous for our heavenly mangoes, but we also produce beans, oranges, avocadoes, lemons, and cowpeas, commonly known as ‘nzoo’. Did you know that sand harvesting is also a major activity in Makueni? Well, now you know!

Ever since I was a young girl, we would make frequent trips home to Makueni. Passing through Machakos, Wote, through the scenic Mbooni hills, the views were breath-taking. The journey by road was long and tiresome, but what kept us going was the thought of what awaited us. The warm delectable welcome we received; nothing could compare to my babu’s (my father’s dad) nyama choma. Memories of picking blackberries from my father’s farm and playing football with my brothers on the sand on River Thwake during the dry season are still fresh in my mind. All these and more made my childhood quite remarkable.

My mother’s parent also lived nearby, in Kalawa and of course, the trip would not be complete without us picking lemons from her father’s farm. Going to church in the village always turned out to be a huge spectacle as my grandfather, Mzee Lazaro as the villagers called him, was a former teacher and hence a very respectable man. After the service, throngs of people would surround us and Mzee Lazaro would eagerly introduce us to all who cared to listen.

Of all the memories of Makueni that I hold, one that I always draw my inspiration from is going back to my mother’s schools. Retracing the steps, she took as she made the daily long trip to Kinyau Primary School and finally away to Muthetheni Secondary School. She was the first girl in her village to go to university, a feat that she does not shy away from reminding my siblings and me.

After completing my high school, I was keen on joining Strathmore. It was an obvious choice for me considering that I would be the fifth person in my family to join Strathmore University. My father was part of it back when it was an accounting college, and my three older siblings all went through Strathmore. The scholarship to study a course of my choice in Strathmore came as a relief to the whole family, especially my parents who were keen on giving my siblings and I quality education and would go above and beyond to ensure that happened. Currently, I am in my second year, pursuing Financial Engineering and what keeps me going is the fact that, if my parents rose above all from their small villages in Kalawa, Makueni, to achieve what they have, then what can stand in my way?

I have always loved farming; I am pretty sure I got it from my dad and grandfather. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to go back to Makueni and till the idle lands. If I can use my education to get people to see and exploit all the potential that Makueni has, and to give back to others in my community the way Strathmore has to me, then my heart will be at rest.