History of Wattle Trees in Uasin Gishu, Kenya

By William Kiptoo 



Wattle trees, (Acacia Mearnsii or black wattle), were once a popular tree in Uasin Gishu, especially in Ainabkoi, Kapseret, and Turbo where the defunct East Africa Tanning Extract Company (EATEC) farmed 20,000ha of wattle.

The tree, which is locally known as Mti Ulaya, was specifically cultivated for dye and charcoal production. Wattle trees are cultivated in various countries due to the high tannin content in their bark, which is used in the leather industry. They grow rapidly and can be harvested within 6 years. However, their lifespan is short, lasting only about 10 years. Despite this, the quality of charcoal produced from these trees is excellent.
Wattle trees became popular in Kenya since 1885 when it was first brought to Kenya by an Autralian missionary and planted in Murang'a. It wasn't until 1898 that their cultivation gained attention in the Rift Valley, and particularly in Uasin Gishu. The colonial government introduced it to reduce the reliance on native forests for fuel and wood.
EATEC established a factory in Eldoret in 1919 to process wattle bark from European farms. One European settler, Cheserut (a Kalenjin nick-name for long nose), who owned a farm near Chepkanga, in Sergoit, grew wattle trees for commercial purposes on his farm and supplied them to EATEC.
EATEC had extensive wattle tree plantations in Uasin Gishu (Kipkabus, Eldoret and Soy) for many years , but faced challenges when the parent company, Lonrho, shifted focus away from agriculture in the late 1990s. The demand for natural tannin decreased due to competition from synthetic alternatives, leading to the closure of EATEC and many farmers having unproductive wattle tree plantations.

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