Smart investment, imagination and willpower will revive Nyeri

This migration has left a mark everywhere, especially in schools that now sit underutilised, their classrooms echoing with the voices of only a few students. Once bustling institutions of learning now serve as quiet reminders of families that have moved away in search of opportunity. There are those who blame the youth’s departure on a rising drinking culture, but this view misses the mark. With so few opportunities at home, the young people feel like they are choosing between the bottle and the bus to Nairobi.

And yet, the potential for revival is there, waiting like water under the ground. Nyeri has rivers flowing year-round, fed by the highlands, just waiting to irrigate its fertile lands. Imagine this place with a strong, year-round irrigation system: farms bustling with activity, coffee thriving, and young people coming back home not just to visit, but to stay and invest. With a little help, Nyeri’s coffee, avocado, and horticultural sectors could bloom once more.

Unfortunately, many recent government moves have hindered rather than helped. New taxes and fees are being added to an already struggling agricultural economy. Instead of empowering Nyeri’s farmers, it feels like the system is putting up toll booths on their only road to survival. The government could better serve these communities by guaranteeing minimum returns and securing market access. This would give farmers the reassurance that they are not alone in their struggle and might stabilize Nyeri’s agricultural backbone.

Then there’s the issue of land inheritance where land is divided and subdivided until farms are too small to be practical. Each generation gets a smaller slice of what was once a productive plot, leading to fragmented farms barely large enough to support a family, let alone produce a surplus. Unless this practice is revisited, Nyeri’s landscape will continue to fragment, piece by piece.

Moreover, our education still promotes the idea that success means a white-collar job, steering young people away from farming. If we want Nyeri’s young people to consider staying and farming, we need a shift in the education system—one that treats farming as a respected profession with real income potential.

Then there’s the issue of market access. While Kenya often faces food shortages and imports food, Nyeri’s farmers are stuck with middlemen who dictate low prices, making it difficult for farmers to make a living. With direct market access, better prices, and maybe even a few cold storage facilities to store their produce, Nyeri’s farmers could thrive once again.

Until Nyeri finds a sustainable way forward, it will remain like an old photograph—capturing a memory that fades a little more each year.