Have ever wondered how funny local names like ‘Kawangware’ came to be?

General TBT
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  1. Ruaka- “Rui rua aka” Meaning “River of women”

  2. Dagoretti- “Ndagurite” Meaning a place that’s not yet bought as Karen Blixen had already the rest of the area.

  3. Rumuruti (in Laikipia)- The town was on the route from Nyahururu to Mararal which was commonly used by white settlers. They referred to the trail between the two settlements as a “Remote route”

  4. Kapropita (In Baringo)- A settler known as…READ MORE

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makaobora hivi ndo unataka kupata traffic sasa. Anti-crick is an advanced techphile bunch my fren, we just point on rinks and see destination. Weka yote hapa ama ushinde hapo

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  1. Kirigiti (Kiambu)- There was a popular cricket field there, locals could not pronounce “Cricket” hence the name Kirigiti.
  2. Roysambu- The place was known as “Royal Suburbs” during the colonial times.
  3. Kariakor- During the First World War a contingent of Africans were in the British army as carrying luggage. “The Carrier Corps” and would meet in the present Kariakor!
  4. Msongari- The name was “Muthangari” and an area in Lavington still maintains that name. The name was a bit tuff for the settlers and they pronounced it as “Msongari”.
  5. Limuru- corruption from a Maasai word ilmur which means donkey droppings and even today there’s lots of it there!
  6. Naivasha = Enaiposha – meaning the lake in Masai.
  7. Nakuru = Nakurro – meaning a dust bowl – dusty place in Masai.
  8. Nyahururu – Enaiwurruwurr – meaning windy or place of storms. Also means some plant in Masai.
  9. Banana (Kiambu) Lots of bananas were bought and sold along that area.
  10. Kinoo- There was a very large sign that read “NO THROUGH WAY”. The Kikuyu living in the area would refer to the area as “haria hee Ki-no.
  11. Kabarnet- The town is named after a missionary called Barnet, from Alsace, France.
  12. Kawangware- Named after the Man called Ngware. He opened the 1st shop there in 60s and Kikuyus would say (ndathii gatuka-ini KA+WA+NGWARE) “I have gone to shop at Ngware’s shop”
  13. Kilifi- Great Cliffs in that area.
  14. Mathare – African labourers would be dropped there by white and told ‘go to your motherland’ so they called the place Mathare.
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Buru Buru- Stones that were used to build the houses were brought from Bulbul so the kikuyu builders were pronouncing buru buru.
Kiambiu - That whole area had only one boma which was owned by an old man called Kiambiu. He lived there with his family. The boma is still there and his grand children or great grandchildren still live there

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Rodi Kopany - The was a company building roads there called road company the luos could not pronouce it properly hence Rodi kopany

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Kitsuru - river gitahuro

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Sotik:New White settlers used to tell our Kipsigis people"this area is SO THICK" coz of the huge dense trees & bushes that time.

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GITHURAI - Blacks walikuwa wanatumwa na wazungu Thika wanaambiwa wakifika kwa roundabout waende the right side, yaani they “Get it right” so waafrika wakaanza kuiita Githurai.

True story. I was there.