A STRANGE HISTORY OF KIRENGA MARKET, THIS WAS A PLACE FOR THE EXECUTION OF DETAINEES FROM THE COLONIAL ERA WHICH USUALLY BROUGHT BAD MEMORIES TO OUR FOREFATHERS.

A STRANGE HISTORY OF KIRENGA MARKET, THIS WAS A PLACE FOR THE EXECUTION OF DETAINEES FROM THE COLONIAL ERA WHICH USUALLY BROUGHT BAD MEMORIES TO OUR FOREFATHERS.

A strange history of Kirenga market, Magina, and AP WAS THERE: The Vietnam War, These three places left deep scars and the mention of them usually brought bad memories to our forefathers. 

This was a place for the execution of detainees from the colonial era. The colonialist had set up a gallow in this town and would use it to set an example to anyone who resisted their rule. 

An old man many years ago shared some history with me about the Kirenga market, Magina, and Uplands.

These three places left deep scars and the mention of them usually brought bad memories to our forefathers.

 Kirenga market in the 1800s and early 1900s was used as an open market where young girls from as far as Muranga would be brought for sale by their Fathers in exchange for goats and cattle or even dry farm produce during droughts. 

These young girls sadly would be sold as deep into Masai Land (probably explains why there are Bantu names that are intertwined with maa names and vice versa) 

This is the reason why Kijabe Girls back then ìcai was established by Africa Inland Mission (AIM) to be a rescue center. 

The center was guarded by armed wazungu on horsebacks as it would be raided occasionally by old men who wanted to reclaim the rescued girls. 

Uplands has a sad storyline.

This was a place for the execution of detainees from the colonial era. The colonialist had set up a gallow in this town and would use it to set an example to anyone who resisted their rule. 

The sad part of the story is Africans would sell out fellow Africans leading to their executions in exchange of favours and tracks of land in the highlands.

Rumour has it some of the detainees would be made to watch and later freed. Some claimed that the screams would be heard from afar as people hang and breathed their last.

Finally Magina, much is not known as this small town was way well established before even Kimende and being close to Limuru back in the day.

With a vibrant market and shops that served people from Bathi, Escarpment, Kijabe, Kijabe town, and many more places. 

It is believed that this town was closely related to the uplands massacre and as some went into war some were left behind sharing the towns riches amongst themselves and taking what was not rightfully theirs from widows and orphans. 

This should not be related in any way to the three places it's just an important part of history that I happened to come across.