Kimumu Farm, Eldoret

By William Kiptoo

I just found out that Jacobus Christian Theunissen owned the farm known today as Kimumu Farm #46, Uasin Gishu. He was the Secretary and Director of the Uasin Gishu Farmers' Association (KFA) in 1927. He also served in the military during the World War 1.

In 1927, he imported a variety of wheat from Colombia. The first consignment sent for milling reached Nairobi in January 1933. Because it was a wheat of poor milling quality, and therefore fetched a lower price than other varieties, Sabanero did not at first catch on to any great extent; but it did stand up to rust. Its cultivation spread. In 1957 about 20% of all wheat grown in Kenya was of the Sabanero variety.

Theunissen died in 1944 and was buried in Eldoret Cemetery.


Source: https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/

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