Eldoret, It's Time to Recognize Jimmy: The Forgotten Tree Caretaker of Ronald Ngala Street

 By William Kiptoo

Nine months ago, in September 2024, I highlighted the story of Jimmy—real name James Nderitu—as a humble hero of Eldoret’s Ronald Ngala Street. His story moved many: a man who, without pay or recognition, had dedicated more than a decade to beautifying one of our busiest streets. Today, his trees still bloom, the street still stands transformed—but Jimmy remains unseen, unsupported, and, heartbreakingly, harassed.

Jimmy is not an official employee of Uasin Gishu County. He doesn’t wear a uniform or get paid from any public budget. Yet no one can deny the value he adds.

Since 2013, Jimmy has cared for every tree lining Ronald Ngala Street—trees he planted himself. He waters them, tends to the flowers, and makes sure the stretch from the Tuck Center all the way down toward Zion Mall remains one of the most inviting corridors in our growing city. It’s hard to find a better example of civic pride in action.

Yet despite widespread praise and attention last year, nothing has changed for Jimmy. He still runs his puncture repair business to survive, and on bad days, he still faces intimidation and arrests from county askaris. His crime? Trying to earn an honest living while preserving the environment on public land—land he has beautified more than any government tender or county landscaping program.

This silence and inaction from the county and the broader public should disturb us. How many people would, of their own initiative, plant trees, nurture them for over a decade, and do so while being harassed rather than helped?

If Eldoret is serious about becoming a clean, green, and liveable city, we must stop ignoring the Jimmy-shaped contradiction at the heart of our urban life: that the very people who make our city better are often the ones we forget or punish.

Jimmy is not asking for money or fame. I strongly believe he deserves recognition, protection, and support. His efforts have saved the county time and money. His trees provide shade, cool the street, absorb pollution, and offer aesthetic value that enhances local business and daily life. In fact, if Uasin Gishu County’s environmental department had to contract a company to do what Jimmy does voluntarily, it would cost hundreds of thousands of shillings each year.

We need more Jimmys—not fewer and we need to uplift and not ignore those who work quietly in our midst.