Barngetuny Plaza, Eldoret

 By William Kiptoo




Barngetuny Plaza is one of Eldoret’s seven landmarks building in town. It is located along Uganda road, just beside Zion Mall and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral. Barngetuny Plaza, is Eldoret's premier shopping and dining destination with a lively atmosphere with several businesses’ establishments inside.
The building was built back in 1994 and is named after a well-known local figure, Ezekiel Barngetuny. He was a businessman in Eldoret and even served as a nominated Member of Parliament. Barngetuny was friends with retired President Moi, which helped him get started in the real estate business. He built two buildings in Eldoret and Kapsabet, both aptly named Barngetuny
Ezekiel Barngetuny is fondly remembered for his amazing goat auctioning skills. Every year, he would participate in a big goat auction during Christmas in Kimalel, Baringo. Even though he didn’t have a lot of formal education, he was loved by many, including President Moi, because of his infectious sense of humor. He once joked that he went to Kapsabet Girls High School.
So, if you ever find yourself in Eldoret, make sure to check out Barngetuny Plaza. It’s not just a building; it’s a piece of the town’s history and a fun place to hang out!
PHOTO: M.E.M.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Lochab Bros family company, Eldoret

Image
Compiled by William Kiptoo Source:  LOCHAB BROS is one of the big names among the pioneer settlers of Eldoret from India. They represent the various business of the family and signifies the strength and unity of the Joint family System to everyone. The unique system in the Lochabs is that they stay with their families under the same roof and eat together from the food of the same kitchen. Family history dates to 1887, when the pioneer, Late Mr Hira Singh Lochab came from Ishapur, Punjab, to make a fortune in Kenya. His son Late Mr Ghumand Singh Lochab joined the Marine Department of Kenya Railways. At that time, Kenya was the HQ of the East African Community, and it was difficult to get a technical job under the colonial system and by dint of his hard work and dedication, he rose to the position of 2nd Engineer, which was generally reserved for the Britishers. He worked for the Railways in Uganda and Kenya till 1939 and started a Sawmill in partnership at Kaptagat. In 1941, he came...
Read more

Early History of the Uasin Gishu

Image
  A few notes on the early history of the Uasin Gishu f rom the Kenya Scrapbook  b y A.C. Hoey. *** PART 1:  (This piece was written about 1956 for a church magazine) Few people had heard of the Uasin Gishu Plateau prior to the year 1900, and the first reference I can find is that made by Major JR MacDonald RE who headed a survey party in the years 1891 1894, exploring a route for a railway to be built from Mombasa to Uganda. In his book "Soldiering and Surveying in British East Africa" he specially refers to the rolling downs and beautiful grass country of the Uasin Gishu when he was making his way from Naivasha to Mumias.  It was in 1905 that I met in Naivasha a very nice Afrikander by the name of Van Breda who was keen on taking up land in the southernmost part of Uasin Gishu Plateau, near the Elgeyo Escarpment. It was about this time, having heard of the wonderful shooting to be obtained in the Uasin Gishu, that I made a safari. I had considerable difficulty in o...
Read more

The History of the Reformed Church of East Africa (RCEA) and Its Ties with the South African Dutch Reformed Church (DRC)

Image
From the history of the Reformed Church of East Africa In the early 1900s, some people from the Boer republics in South Africa moved to Eastern Africa after the Anglo-Boer War. They didn't want to live under British rule, so they settled in Kenya. These migrant farmers were part of the Reformed Churches in South Africa. They formed their own congregation called Vergenoeg in Eldoret, Kenya. The land there was fertile and perfect for farming. At that time, Kenya was still a German colony called German East Africa, but it would soon become a British colony after World War I.  Rev. M. P. Loubser became the first minister of the congregation. He, along with other farmers, established a ministry among the farmworkers. In 1944, the congregation decided to call its first full-time missionary. Rev. Loubser had left money in his will specifically for mission work, which made this possible. They bought a school building called Broederstroom, which is now known as Plateau, to be used as a miss...
Read more