Juma Hajee: The “Aga Khan of Eldoret” and His Frontier Legacy
By William Kiptoo
Juma Hajee, born in Veraval, British India, arrived in Kenya in 1904 at age twenty to join his father, Haji Noor Mohamed, a railway worker on the Uganda Railway. Within a few years, he had earned the affectionate nickname “the Aga Khan of Eldoret” for his commanding presence, oratory skills, and pivotal role in pioneering trade and civic life on the Uasin Gishu Plateau.
Early Ventures and the Birth of Hajee’s Drift
Shortly after settling in Eldama Ravine, Hajee opened his first trading post. In 1907, at the government’s invitation, he moved north to Farm 64 on the Sosiani River—later known as Hajee’s Drift—where he erected a corrugated-iron store on Piet van Breda’s land. In an era before bridges, travelers crossed the river on a fallen tree trunk, making Hajee’s outpost a crucial waypoint for traders and settlers alike.
Building a Regional Trade Network
From that modest drift-side shop, Juma Hajee & Sons grew into a dozen outlets across Western Kenya. By the mid-1910s, his dukawallas served trading centers including Marigat, iCabarnet, Sabatia, Karuna, Sergoit, Marakwet, Kakamega, and his original base at Eldama Ravine. During the 1934–35 Kakamega gold rush, he staked a mining claim, discovered a gold reef, and recouped his investment—though he made little profit—before establishing a shop to supply prospectors and villagers with essential goods.
Commerce Amidst Rudimentary Infrastructure
Travel in those days was arduous. Rain-soaked tracks turned to quagmires, and transport relied on foot, donkeys, or ox-carts operated chiefly by South African settlers. Hajee is said to have walked through the bamboo forests from Eldama Ravine to Eldoret, camping at places like Kampi ya Simba. He kept a single brown horse for personal use and, later, likely acquired ox-carts to move goods—testament to his adaptability in a pre-railway, pre-road era.
Permanent Roots in Eldoret Township
When Farm 64 was surveyed into a township in 1912, Juma Hajee was the first merchant to establish within its grid. His corrugated-iron shop on British India Street (today’s Moi Street) marked the commercial birth of Eldoret. In 1939, surrounded by forest, he replaced it with a substantial tin-roofed store on Grigg Street (now Oginga Odinga Street), where he could relax on the verandah and even hunt guinea fowl for sport.
Community Leadership and Faith
Beyond commerce, Hajee wove himself into the civic fabric. From 1936 to 1946, he served on the Eldoret Municipal Council, shaping urban planning and public markets. He sat on the School Commission and presided over the Indian Association, fostering orderly bi-weekly markets and safe streets. As an Ismaili Muslim, he was appointed Mukhi of the Eldoret Jamatkhana, whose stone prayer hall replaced a tin-roofed wooden predecessor in 1934, anchoring the community’s spiritual life for decades.
Cultural Bridges and Social Circles
Juma Hajee’s clientele included Europeans and Dutch South Africans. Relations with Boers were often frosty—they needed his goods but kept their distance socially. Yet he and his family hosted gatherings with Europeans, forging personal ties that transcended prevailing racial divides. His shop became more than a store: it was a crossroads where cultures met amid Kenya’s colonial frontier.
Legacy
Juma Hajee left behind a sprawling commercial network, a strengthened civic infrastructure, and a vibrant Ismaili community in Eldoret. “Hajee’s Drift” remains on maps and in local memory as a symbol of his resourcefulness. His journey from a young immigrant trader to a respected municipal leader exemplifies the indelible impact of early pioneers in shaping Kenya’s urban and cultural landscapes.
References
- “Juma Hajee,” Khoja Wiki. https://khojawiki.org/Juma_Hajee
khojawiki.org
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