The story of Kijabe Mission Station as reported in the Standard this week reads like a Utopian dream. The town has very high moral standards dating back to colonial times when severe punishments were meted on anyone indulging in vices. There’s no loud music either from shops or matatus like is common in most other towns. Commotion and disorder are unheard of.
Shops in this place are not allowed to stock cigarettes and alcohol and any new investor has to sign a code of conduct prohibiting him from selling the same and any other immoral products. Any shop keeper found breaching these rules could earn himself an expulsion from the town but if he’s remorseful and apologizes, then he may be allowed to continue operating. This was easier to implement in the past than it is now because most shops were owned by church leaders anyway. The church now employs guards who go round and conduct inspections in shops in an attempt to uphold this rule. But generally these standards are getting more and more difficult to maintain especially with modern life, and employment of professionals from other areas.
Cohabiting, unwanted pregnancies and children born out of wed-lock are unacceptable. Of course they’re unacceptable everywhere but in Kijabe Mission Station it actually works. Men are not expected to laze around with young women – infact unmarried women are not allowed to be in the company of men after 7.00 pm. This must be difficult even though it’s a mission town and parents there must be a very happy lot.
Life in Kijabe Mission Station is not easy for the youth although it works out well for them in the long run. Many are known to take a sabbatical from their constraining hometown to go to other areas and indulge. Others go to colleges in other urban areas and have their big break but when they go back home they have to follow the rules again. Others sneak into the forest to indulge in a puff here and there. Or some other sins.
Now if only all urban centers could be like this place.
3 Comments:
What a nice town!!! It really reminds me of my home town , where I grew up, and the old days . Believe me ours was more strict, there were no shops or no market place in our town. We used to go for shopping to the nearest town which was about five kilometers . Our spiritual leader was so strict with moral standards that it was impossible to find a man reaching the age of 25yrs and not married. Just being absent from the local mosque during prayer times could land you in the greatest trouble you can imagine. Oh boy!!! How I miss that life? Shiko, Goodbye, look for yourself another domo friend in Mombassa. I am relocating my family to Kijabe Mission Station .
ha ha ha BPONE thats a nice one. You're relocating to Kijabe? Sounds like a nice place to raise a family huh? BP I can imagine your town being strictly Muslim must have been very disciplined.
I too miss the discipline of the good old days back in the village. It may have looked boring for the youth then but it works out well in the long run.
Yea I was raised in the same scene. Back in my days there were little carts that came around in the morning selling hard boiled eggs to people and my mother would have to go down by the nearest river and wash our clothing. Its crazy to see how much changes in time, its truly amazing.
-Frank
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