Miniota Farm, Ainabkoi: The Smith Family Photographs

By William Kiptoo. Photographs courtesy of Howard Smith and his family.

These photographs show farming at Miniota Farm in Ainabkoi, East Uasin Gishu, in the 1950s and 60s. The land is now Kapngetuny High School, also known as Kapsimit, from "Kap Smith."

Mr Allison Smith and Mrs Milicent Smith owned the land from the 1930s. After the Second World War their son, Mr Peter Smith, took over its management and ran it until 1960/61, when the Ainabkoi Settlement Scheme was established and the land was transferred to the Settlement Trust Fund (STF). Peter Smith was instrumental in setting up the scheme, and he later served in a similar role at the Ahero Settlement Scheme.

The photographs show the farm's mechanisation and the introduction of cattle dips to fight tick borne disease. Take note of the historic John Deere tractors with roller wheels.

The collection was shared by my friend Mr Howard Smith, the grandson, who now lives in Canada. He was pleased to learn of my interest in documenting the history of the Ainabkoi Settlement Scheme across the generations, and he searched through his grandfather's albums to find these. Howard himself appears in one of the photos, wearing glasses, sometime in the 1950s. More of the collection, some dating to 1930, is to be housed at the recently established Ainabkoi Settlers House as a historical record of the scheme.

Dr Maya Angelou stressed that if we fail to document our past we risk losing knowledge that could shape our future. I kindly ask families who have historical photographs to digitise them and add captions that give their context. We should reveal history rather than hide it, for that is the only way our great grandchildren will know the past.

See also Kapngetuny Fences: Cedar Poles of the Ainabkoi Settlement Scheme.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

Ken-Knit (Kenya) Ltd.

Image
By William Kiptoo Ken-Knit (Kenya) Ltd. is a textile manufacturing company located in Eldoret, Kenya. It was founded in 1966 by three brothers - Gulabchand Shah, Somchand Shah, and Keshavlal Shah. With an initial capital of Sh50,000, the company started small with just one knitting machine producing hand-knitting yarn. However, over time, they expanded into spinning, blankets, knitwear, and other products. Initially focusing on hand-knitting yarn, Ken-Knit soon diversified into spinning units, blanket departments, and knitwear. They have grown into a major textile manufacturer in East Africa, known for their quality knitwear. In the late 1970s, they introduced a Composite spinning and dyeing plant for various types of yarn. Ken-Knit has kept up with modern technology, investing in machinery to ensure top quality and durability in their products. Ken-Knit offers a wide range of products, including sweaters, blankets, Maasai shukas, pillows, and kikois. They are also a leading manufactur...
Read more

Eldoret Town Estates

(Adopted from The Standard, Jan, 26, 2022) Eldoret town in Uasin Gishu is a rapidly growing urban center with a population of nearly half a million according to the 2019 national census. It is the sixth most populated town in Kenya after Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Ruiru. Eldoret is known for having some of the oldest estates, established as people migrated to urban areas in search of jobs starting in the 1960s. These estates have unique names based on the social status and race of the residents. Some estates existed even before independence, with Africans living in estates like Kidiwa, Macharia, Kilimani, Majengo, and Kapsuswo near the Kipchoge Keino Stadium. Somalis lived in Kampi Somali, Indians in Eldoret West, and whites in Elgon View and Kapsoya estates. Elgon View estate was associated with affluent individuals such as politicians, athletes, civil servants, and businessmen. The estate was home to whites, government officials, and colonial administrators. After independ...
Read more