Thika Town Today

As the curtains came down after a successful and exciting three-day Thika Business Trade Fair at the Mama Ngina Garden in Thika on Thursday 11^th October 2018, one thing came out clearly. Thika is not only blessed with mega industrial productions, but it is also blessed with a wide variety of raw talent and innovation that if well nurtured, can contribute greatly to the development of this region and the country in general.

Organised by the Thika District Business Association, a body that brings together small and large business entrepreneurs within and around Thika town, the event was also supported by Kiambu County Government and the office of the Thika Town MP.

The expo was unveiled on 9^th October by the area MP Hon. Eng. Patrick Wainaina Wajungle and officially closed by Kiambu Governor HE Ferdinand Waititu Baba Yao, and involved participation of over 70 small, medium and large entrepreneurs.

The exhibition that opened its doors on Wednesday showcased agribusiness, technology, insurance, beauty, education among others.

The number of visitors was also a clear indication that many are yearning for information and creative ideas by young people. It was also an indicator that players in the industry are positioning themselves to meet this growing desire to revolutionise how things are done.

To many of the exhibitors, the trade show turned out to be a great way to advertise to a target market and create brand awareness due to the diverse range of audiences that provided them with a platform to promote their products or services to a broader group that had little or no knowledge of their products and services.

It also provided the participants with a chance to test the market so as to gain industry or general opinion about what they were offering notwithstanding that it provided them with opportunities to branch out to business-to-business trading and create a customer database from the people who visited their display booths.

Speaking during the closing ceremony, Governor Waititu promised to do everything possible to support entrepreneurship and trade within Thika and ensure the town regained its lost glory of the yesteryears when it was duly referred to as the “Birmingham of Kenya”.

He promised to relocate people living in Government Quarters so as to create space for small businesses especially those in the informal sector.

“I also intend to relocate the Thika Prisons so that the land can be put into better economic use as we also look for better ways to utilise the cemetery land as a modern garage for our jua kali sector,” said Waititu.

On his part, Eng. Wainaina said that he had sponsored a Bill in the National Assembly that sought to impose heavy taxation on imports that unfavourably competed against locally manufactured products.

If it becomes law, the SME Amendment Bill 2018 is likely to set the stage for a major trade war with Kenya's leading importers, including China.

“Currently, the country is importing goods worth Sh2 trillion annually but barely exporting goods worth Sh500 billion. About 25% of all imports to Kenya come from China with Kenya only exporting 0.5% of total exports to China,” said Wainaina.

TDBA Chairman Alfred Wanyoike thanked the two leaders for their continued support to the business community in the area and promised to work with each one of them to ensure that traders were accorded a very conducive environment to do business.

He also thanked all those who participated in the trade fair, urging more traders to join in as this was a great platform to showcase their products and services.

Police in Thika East arrested two veterinary quacks who were going round Gatuanyaga village vaccinating cows and goats. They recovered fake identification cards, old thermometer, injectable animal drugs, needles, syringes and 2Kgs of Norlick superlik salt.

The two Esther Wambui Nzioka alias Esther Nzioka Syekoyo (39), and Joel Mwangi Karanja alias Naftali Murage Wahome (29) were nabbed as they tried to vaccinate cows and goats at the home of Kamau Kuru claiming they had been dispatched at the area by the government following a disease outbreak on domestic animals.

Kamau’s daughter is a veterinary officer and when she saw how they were dressed and the things they carried, she became suspicious and gestured to her father who called the police.

The police led by Thika East DAPC Mumina Yusuf responded swiftly and arrested the two who were taken to Ngoliba police station awaiting to be charged with the offence.  Salome Wanjira Ngugi who is a victim of the two said the two vaccinated her 3 goats and parted with Ksh 1,000 before vaccinating her neighbour's goat that eventually died. 

The suspect Esther Wambui however said the goat she vaccinated was so feeble and was almost dying even before she treated it. She said she was told by the owner that it had been treated by so many Veterinary officers but all in vain. She said she has been doing that job for over 3 years and sometimes she even led her customers. ‘ if I was a bad person I could not have operated for those three years, sometimes doing my services and coming for the money at a later day”. Claimed Wambui.

Salome Wanjira  said they fell into the trap following an earlier announcement in Churches that Veterinary officers would come on last Tuesday at Gatuanyaga cattle dip to treat their animals following an outbreak. But the quacks came a day earlier claiming to have been send from Kabete to start helping the small scale farmers  before the D-Day.

Thika East OCPD Julius Kyumbule cautioned the area residents to take prior precautions as he said they suspected the suspects were spies who rather than treating the cows had another interior motive. He said this was happening when the area was experiencing stock theft at night.

Two APs from Witeithie AP post are nursing injuries after they were attacked by people suspected to be touts at Witeithie stage in Juja Sub-County of Kiambu this morning (Saturday).

The cops had entered a tea shed and before they made their order, a group of young men baying for their blood arrived.

According to an impeccable witness, one of the officers had his legs swept by one of the attackers. As he fell, the attackers descended on him with kicks and blows.

The other officer who was in the tea shed was hit with a devastating blow that cut his lip leaving loosened teeth.

The witness said the man who hit the officer, challenged him to identify (mark). “Mark me very well. Am not afraid of you at all. Am a matatu crew here,” he shouted to the profusely bleeding AP.

Later, the officers were taken away in a land cruiser after they were rescued by colleagues.

Following the attack, a swoop led by Witeithie AP post boss, inspector James Dawai was conducted in which several touts were arrested and are now assisting police with investigations.

One of the officers said during the attack his phone was stolen.

It s believed that the touts might have been revenging the previous day's arrest of several touts at the stage by the officers. 

Members of the public claimed the officers were drunk during the attack. Juja Sub-County deputy commissioner Charles Mureithi has already issued a directive that all touts be wiped out of stages in the Sub-county

Speaking to bar owners during a series of public participation meetings held at Thika, Juja, Kiambu and other sub-counties, Kiambu Liquor Licensing Board officials said they were perturbed to see commercial sex workers operating openly on the town streets as early as 9.00 AM. They singled out Thika and Kimbo in Ruiru as leading the pack.

The meetings led by Kiambu County Chief of Staff Gibson Mburu (who represented Governor Ferdinand Waititu) and Geoffrey Kaara who is the director  Kiambu Liquor licensing Board was attended by all MCA’s from the 5 wards in Juja sub-county Murera, Witeithie, Theta, Kalimoni and Juja.

The officials said bar owners opening their bars in the morning are contributing to this menace and warned that those who will be caught will not have their licenses renewed. This comes in the wake of the increasing acts of prostitution in these towns where school children are lured into the trade.

Sophinga wa Bibiana who is the deputy director of Kiambu Liquor Licencing Board cited a case where two primary school girls aged between 15 and 13 were last evening nabbed by police in Thika trying to sell their bodies at Thika near Rwambogo street. The pupils said were from Kigumo in Muranga.

Sophinga also pointed out at a brothel operating at Kimbo in Ruiru just at the gate of NIBS college saying the brothel was specifically put there to lure students of the college. He said it is operated by a young lady who told them that she cannot do any other business.

They said the county government is closing all brothels operating in its towns and warned bar owners who are selling alcohol and at the same time operating brothels.

During the meeting the bar owners agreed to fulfill the conditions contained in the Kiambu Alcoholic Drinks Control Act 2018 which they had earlier opposed and called on the county government to speed up the inspection exercise and issue them with licenses. So far, no one has ever been renewed licence.

The Chief of Staff and the Director assured the bar owners that starting from next week, they will be issued with licenses.

Central Regional Commissioner Wilson Njega has warned all those who have grabbed public land within the central region that their title deeds will be revoked and the land reverted back for public use.

Speaking in Makongeni area Thika West on Wednesday where he led other administrators in destroying confiscated illicit brews and gambling machines, Njega also warned that the dreaded Mungiki sect was slowly regrouping and re-emerging strongly in central Kenya.

A 10-acre piece of land that part of it host Makongeni Police Station has been on the spot recently, after community policing members claimed it had been grabbed.

Njega lamented that some politicians in the region have been funding the outlawed sect saying that the unscrupulous politicians are using the sect members to amass cash from innocent residents.

He appealed to parents to advise their children who have already joined the sect that none of them will be spared once the authorities crack whip.

“We cannot breed criminals just because they are our kids. Parents must caution their children in earnest before we unleash our wrath on them,” he said.

Njega recalled that in the wake of the 2007/08 post-election violence, the outlawed sect carried out numerous merciless killings, extortion and theft in the region.

“They used to collect money from houses depending on the size and nature ranging from sh.  200 and sh. 1000 per month. Also in traditional wedding ceremonies they could demand 10% of the cash left by the in-laws. This is what they are up to now and we won’t allow this,” he said.

Thika MP Patrick Wainaina said that the sect members are the same people who were still brewing illicit liquor with impunity despite the government’s efforts to end the vice.

The lawmaker pledged to support the authorities in the with all means to ensure that security is maintained as well as empower them to combat criminals, illicit brews, outlawed gambling and drugs.

“We must join forces and ensure that sanity is restored in our region,” Wainaina said.

Six suspected gangsters were on Monday morning gunned down after a failed robbery attempt in Thika’s Makongeni area.

The gang, believed to be between 10 and 20, is said to have drilled a hole under the perimeter wall to gain entry to Sunveat Industries along Oloitiptip road at around 3am.

Fortunately, one of the security guards spotted them and alerted his seniors who immediately called Makongeni Police Station. 

In an operation led by Makongeni OCS, James Mwita, the police jumped over the company walls and took cover before intercepting them on their way out of the compound.

On realising that they had been cornered, one of the gang members who had a homemade pistol attempted to open fire but the police were too swift for them, gunning down the six.

However, the rest of the thugs managed to escape, some believed with gunshot wounds.

“The thugs were intercepted as they were getting out with the stolen items. We have managed to recover several laptops, television sets, mobile phones, biscuits and biros from the thugs,” explained Kiambu County Police Commander Adiel Nyange.

Nyange appealed to all health centres in the region to notify the police in case the received any patient with gunshot wounds.

The same gang had earlier on attempted to invade Prime Value Company where they assaulted one security guard.

The thugs are believed to be part of a gang that has been terrorising residents in the area.

To most young people, dropping out of school simply means the end of a career and a bleak future for this makes them ineligible for 90% of the jobs in Kenya but not for the case of Kennedy Mwaura alias Ken.

Born in Gatundu North Sub-County, Ken attended Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) after graduating from high school.  However, he dropped out of college in 2013 during his 2nd year in campus after his parents were unable to raise the requisite fees to continue his parallel degree course in Bachelor of Business Information Technology.

While this is by no means considered the path to success, Ken has broken all odds to achieve what to many, would be considered to as just a mirage.

Though his desire to run his own technology company seemed crushed in an instant, this did not kill his resolve.  After struggling for a while in the village, Ken decided to try his luck in the city.

So, one fine Sunday afternoon, he left with a friend he had met during a cousin's wedding to go and try their luck in Kangemi slums, Nairobi with barely Ksh.200, a laptop and a few clothes.

“It really didn’t work out the way I thought. No job was forthcoming and this frustrated me to a point that I almost lost hope,” he recalls.

His turning point came the day he borrowed Ksh. 1,000 from his roommate to go and do some unspecified project.

Ken in his office working on a mobile App.

“I just lied to him so that he could lend me some money. At around 10am, I left for a local pub, sat near the counter and ordered a bottle of beer,” he explains.

Next to him was a man of Asian origin having a drink with a lady. As the female bartender perused through a pile of receipts from the previous night's sale, the man triggered a debate advising her to seek for ways to automate her paperwork. He told her that manual recording was tedious, repetitive, time wasting and was prone to errors thus the need to switch to technology.

With my knowledge in IT, this kind of debate triggered my thinking and got interested.

The bartender responded by saying that they were in the process of acquiring a point of sale (POS) system, something the man dismissed and insisted they should get a good system that would deliver their needs, citing his frustrations to integrate the systems to run his four companies so as to deliver an effective Fleet Management Information System for his Fleet Company. 

“I don’t know what came of me but I found myself jumping in with assertion that I could develop such a system for him,” explained Ken.

A screenshot of the company's ERP system that can automate manufacturing companies, export/import companies and all companies that deal with product distribution.

“He looked at me, probably doubting if I really knew exactly what I was saying,” he continued.

After a short discussion, he booked me an appointment to his office in Mlolongo the following morning to discuss the modalities for the contract.

At exactly 8am the following day, Ken was already in Mlolongo.

“I listened attentively as he took me through their operations, documentations and everything involving the scope of work. A week down the line and I had developed a prototype that impressed him so much. We signed our contract and I received a Ksh. 20,000 cheque as a down payment,” he says. 

Six weeks later, Ken had fully deployed the custom web-based system for them, migrated the database, and trained their staff on how to effectively run the new systems.

“The system worked perfectly well that my client opted to double my payment from Ksh. 60,000 and paid me gave me a cheque of Ksh. 100,000. I could not believe my eyes,” he exclaimed.

With the few resources he got, Ken partnered with a friend, Francis Njoroge, to open a company called EWYN Solutions Ltd. that develops custom solutions for specific business processes and custom software and mobile app solutions for companies.

Their systems include a Fleet Management Information System, a very modern Enterprise Resource Planning System, an advanced bar and restaurant P.O.S system, a School Management Information System, SACCO Management Information System, Matatu Management Information System,  among many others.

Mobile apps include a money remittance App, Tourism App, a Taxi App that also accepts payment via Bitcoin and many more.

Some screenshot of the SACCO M.I.S

“Most businesses use off-the-shelf software or what are otherwise known as Open Source systems. Such systems offer generic solutions and yet businesses do not have generic problems. Each institution has its own unique and specific operations that demand personalised systems to help them perform their tasks in a specific way,” he notes.

Ken takes great pride in their systems which he says are modern and web-based meaning that they can be accessed on multiple devices ranging from computers, iPads, tablets and smartphones.

“We ensure that the custom systems are built to offer the solution needed, as well as offer great business reports and analytics that are very essential for the growth of a business. The key advantage is that our clients get the exact solution that they need for their businesses, eliminating the bulk and unnecessary processes involved in off-the-shelf systems as well as the difficulties and expenses involved in customising downloadable systems,” he says.

Ken adds that their systems are scalable enough to grow with the business as the development of additional modules is easy and fast.

“It’s also good to add that since the business owner is in direct touch with the system developer, it becomes very efficient to get system support. Of importance is the intense security features a custom system offers to secure data, unlike off-the-shelf systems that are vulnerable to malicious attackers since their source code is available to so many developers.”

You can reach Ken via 0729556619.

The National Land Commission and Historical Land Injustice committee held their hearings at Thika to hear complaints on historical injustices meted upon the people of Kiambu and Murang'a counties. 

During the hearings, tempers flared where residents drawn from the two counties expressed concern over historical injustices meted upon them and their ancestors by multi-national companies like Del-Monte Kenya Ltd and others.

Murang'a residents, represented by Kandara MP Muthoni Wahome and Chairman Kandara Investment Philip Kamau, told the commission that Del Monte ought to compensate the victims evicted and maimed when they were taking over the land during the colonial times.

This came out as tens of distressed and people living with disabilities were lined up as a testimony of what transpired in Del Monte formerly Kenya Canners.

However, Dr. Samuel Torore who is the chairman National Land Commission and historical land injustices however said Kiambu County Government had reached to an agreement where Del Monte has offered over 600 acres of land so that the county government can allow the renewal of their leases.

The commissioner however said that Murang'a County Government failed to agree with Del Monte and that they will broker the talks to see a breakthrough. 

The commission promised to investigate the claims of injustices labeled against Del Monte.