THE CHEQUERED HISTORY OF WEBUYE TOWN, KENYA, 1895-2009

This book is about the chequered history of Webuye Town in Bungoma. The town began as a fort, which was built on a hill by the great ruler of the "Abangachi", also known as Chetambe Yifile, in 1895. The fort served as a base for launching attacks against British colonialists, and that is why it was built on a hill. Subsequently, the fort grew into a town which in 1972 became home to Pan-African Paper Mills (PAPM), the largest paper factory in East Africa. Nzoia Sugar Factory which was set up in Bukhembe, a neighboring village to Webuye, also impacted much on the growth of Webuye town. The town has experienced periods of changing fortunes for instance, the town grew rapidly especially with the inception of PAPM. When this factory collapsed in 2009, the growth of the town was greatly impacted. However, educational institutions in the town Like Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) established in 2005 restored the town's growth. Educational institutions like colleges have attracted some investors back to the town, administrative posts like the police station in the town and the court have for years enhanced peace in the town, creating a conducive environment for investors.

Autorentext
Dennis Ochieng is a history lecturer and teacher of history at University of Eldoret and St. Christopher's International School respectively and author of a number of articles including, Living by the Rhythm of Pan African Paper Mills: The Rise and Decline of Webuye town. He completed his masters in 2021, his research concentrates on urban history.