Bungoma County just hit its hundred-year anniversary, a milestone that has local leaders like Governor Kenneth Lusaka doing some serious reflecting. The area, originally set up as a district by colonial authorities a century back, was once considered an economic powerhouse for Kenya. It is historically linked to huge operations like the Nzoia Sugar Company, the Webuye Pan Paper Mills, and tobacco giants British American Tobacco and Mastermind Tobacco. These places basically defined the local economy for generations. The county also produced major national figures, including independence era politician Masinde Muliro.
Governor Lusaka spoke at the centenary event, calling it a time for both looking back and planning forward. He pointed out that the county started with simple subsistence farming and tight-knit community living. Churches and faith groups provided essential services like schooling and healthcare before the government could, building a strong moral foundation. Lusaka acknowledged the current growth in agriculture, infrastructure, and public services. He also laid out the big problems still facing the place, namely, young people without work, widespread poverty, and ongoing inequality. He argued that any future development has to be paired with strong values.
The Governor pushed for a unified vision going into the next century. He wants a Bungoma where every kid has a real shot, where the youth can create businesses instead of just looking for work, and where leaders actually serve the public. Other politicians at the event agreed, stressing that unity and inclusive progress are the only ways forward. This comes as the county enters its second hundred years carrying the weight of a collapsed industrial base, those old factories and mills that once made it the region's green jewel now mostly gone.
Governor Lusaka spoke at the centenary event, calling it a time for both looking back and planning forward. He pointed out that the county started with simple subsistence farming and tight-knit community living. Churches and faith groups provided essential services like schooling and healthcare before the government could, building a strong moral foundation. Lusaka acknowledged the current growth in agriculture, infrastructure, and public services. He also laid out the big problems still facing the place, namely, young people without work, widespread poverty, and ongoing inequality. He argued that any future development has to be paired with strong values.
The Governor pushed for a unified vision going into the next century. He wants a Bungoma where every kid has a real shot, where the youth can create businesses instead of just looking for work, and where leaders actually serve the public. Other politicians at the event agreed, stressing that unity and inclusive progress are the only ways forward. This comes as the county enters its second hundred years carrying the weight of a collapsed industrial base, those old factories and mills that once made it the region's green jewel now mostly gone.
