Sagana, a renowned rural town in Kenya, is known for its historical role as an industrial hub and inspiration for the rhumba song “Afro Mtoto wa Sagana.”
Located in Kirinyaga County, the small old town sits snuggly along Kenya’s longest river, the Thagana, from which it got its name. John Ngereza, the band leader for Orchestra Les Wanyika, met and fell in love with Margaret Wambui Mwangi, also known as Afro.
It is estimated that the town started around 1922, with the first permanent commercial building being established by the colonial government in the 1930s.The town was home to the only train station in the Mount Kenya region that kept its lifeblood flowing, thanks to the Nairobi-Nanyuki railway line.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the town was primarily known for hosting coffee, leather, fish, flour milling, oil depots, timber yards, and a vibrant hotel and entertainment industry who’s driving force was largely the people working in the factories.
Sagana was known as a “haven for entertainment” where true and illicit love thrived. The town’s entertainment industry was largely driven by the huge cash flow from the industries. Traders from Meru, Embu, Isiolo, Nyeri, and Murang’a relied on the railway line for goods transportation from Nairobi and Mombasa, with the town hosting numerous go-downs for storage.
The town’s economy was a vibrant tapestry of trade, services, and manufacturing, and these industries were the engines of development and night escapades that made the town famous. The industries attracted a huge workforce from as far as the Rift Valley and Western Kenya.
However, the gradual decline of the country’s railway transport network, which began in the 1980s, crippling one of Kenya’s oldest transport infrastructures, did not spare Sagana. The emerging industrial hub of the 1970s and 1980s died gradually, leaving behind a trail of desperation from business owners who had invested in the town.
Today, the town wears its history like a proud badge, with its empty warehouses and closed gates to once vibrant industries speaking volumes of its glorious past. For Jeremiah Makimi, Kariti Ward Member of the County Assembly (MCA), the empty bricks-and-mortar are a stuck reminder of the bygone era of prosperity.
Makimi says that despite the economic downturn, the local community still holds on to its vibrant spirit and a testament to its resilience. However, the MCA says ongoing efforts by Kirinyaga County Government to set up an industrial park in the area, have invoked a journey down memory lane, that of jobs and money.
“But the spirit of the people, the enthusiasm, and the hope are starting to come together. With the upcoming Industrial Park by the Kirinyaga County Government, there is hope that the town will rise again. People here are anxious to see the town roar back to life with industries,” Makimi said.
Governor Waiguru, says that the Industrial Park is going to breathe new life into the town as it is expected to create more than 10,000 direct jobs.
The investment program targets investors in agro-processing industries, including dairy, essential oils, integrated fruits and vegetables, beverage processing, and supportive sectors like agrovet processors, packaging factories, banks, hospitality, exports, and logistics.
Waiguru said 34 investors have applied to set up industries at the facility. The Park will host an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), that will house the County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP). Hence, Kirinyaga is among five counties that will benefit from Sh. l billion from the national government for the development of the EPZ.
She said the town has all the necessary infrastructure, like a railway line, a dual carriage road, and water, among others, to support investment in manufacturing and agro-processing.
“This creates a great opportunity to grow jobs along the various value chains, raise incomes, and close rural-urban inequality gaps as locals also participate in the global supply chain through value addition,” Waiguru added.
The Governor said her Administration is committed to giving Sagana a facelift, and as the setting-up of the Industrial Park gains momentum, the streets of the town have already been cabro-paved.
Peter Warui, a resident who grew up in Sagana, still holds memories of the vibrant town. Reminiscing that, “Sagana was the biggest and busiest town in Kirinyaga; it was an industrial hub and home to all tribes; the town was full of life; with the decline of railway transport, the town also died; it became deserted,” he said.
Wairui says the initiative by the Kirinyaga County government to set up an industrial park in the area, will revive the economy of the town, since, Sagana’s economy, fueled by the railway station, is expected to be revived with the industrial park, attracting jobs and boosting the town’s vibrancy.
Furthermore, the Sagana’s economy, fueled by the railway station, is expected to be revived with the industrial park, attracting jobs and boosting the town’s vibrancy.
Joel Bakari and Simon Njoroge, a businessman, both recalled that traders from as far as Meru and Chuka had warehouses in the town where their goods would be stored after being offloaded from the train, hence, the value of property in the town and its environs has started going up as investors rush to get a piece of what was once a boomtown.
As traders, we eagerly anticipate the establishment of industries, anticipating the need for housing and food for the workers. The Industrial Park is expected to attract investments, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth in the county, with the hope that businesses will re-establish their thriving state.
By David Wandeto
