Shibale: Once vibrant haven for Mumias Sugar workers now a ghost town

Back then, when the roar of milling machines would churn out thousands of tonnes of sugar, life in Shibale was sweet and irresistible for cane cutters and other residents.

Bars in Shibale filled to the crannies with patrons after work, turning the slum into a vibrant economic zone in the sugar belt region.

Ugandan women

Many were drawn to Shibale in droves by women from neighbouring Uganda who worked as bar attendants.

Patrons came from as far away as Kakamega, Kisumu, Busia and Bungoma because of the vigour of life spurred by the sugar factory, which at the time was a leading economic lifeline in western Kenya.

Then there was the legion of hawkers selling all manner of products, from electronic gadgets and shoes to clothes and watches. But as the fortunes of Shibale have tumbled, they have vanished from the streets.

Mumias Sugar woes

Shibale’s vitality started to diminish five years ago as Mumias Sugar fell into a litany of woes due to poor management and huge debts.

With the money from Mumias Sugar gone, cane cutters, tractor drivers and other employees who had lost their jobs fled the slum, which had become a hideout for criminals.

For the remaining residents, life became a struggle for survival as once thriving businesses, including shops, bars and eateries, closed down.

Five years later, Shibale is a ghost town, stripped of the energy that once lit economic activities in an area full of now empty yards and garages for private transport firms that delivered cane to the factory.

Like Shibale itself, the yards are overgrown with vegetation, with machinery and equipment parked in the open and rusting from years of disuse.

Transport workers preferred to live in Shibale because of its affordable rents and proximity to the sugar factory.

Houses falling apart

Rental houses built in the boom years are falling apart, and with no tenants, their owners are staring at huge losses.

At the main shopping centre, premises that served as shops and eateries have been shuttered due to lack of business.

During political campaigns, Shibale was a popular stopover for politicians because of the nexus between the slum and Mumias Sugar.

ODM leader Raila Odinga and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya made frequent visits to the area, where they enjoyed massive support.

So did former Sports Cabinet secretary Rashid Echesa, who drew support from cane cutters and hundreds of unemployed young people in the slum.

Clutching at straws

The remaining residents are clutching at straws, hoping that someday the good old days will return.

Former Mumias Sugar workers who invested in real estate in Shibale are counting losses as most of the houses they built are vacant while others have been vandalised.

Mr Vincent Ochieng’ owned a garage and repaired vehicles for employees of the sugar miller.

“My garage was doing very well in those days. There were several vehicles for repair at the garage at any given time, but today, I can spend the whole day without attending even to a single job,” he said.

“Some people left the town while others sold their vehicles due to the tough times.”

Mr Simon Chimwene was a happy landlord when business was booming in Shibale. He is now struggling to survive after milling operations at the sugar factory stopped.

“Supervisors and other high-cadre employees who didn’t want to live in the company’s estates preferred my houses because they were affordable and met their standards,” he said.

Moved out

Mr Chimwene’s houses have remained unoccupied for a long time after Mumias Sugar employees who used to live in them lost their jobs and moved out.

Some buildings in the slum are collapsing because their owners cannot afford to repair them.

Efforts by landlords to slash rents have failed to attract new tenants because of the tough economic times.

“By 2015, I charged Sh5,000 for a two-bedroom house and they were in high demand,” Mr Chimwene said, looking distraught.

“But today, I have reduced the rent to a throwaway price of Sh1,500 but no one can afford it.”

Mumias Sugar Company market in Shibale has a handful of traders selling vegetables and cereals.

The market was built in 2009 and accommodated 150 traders who sold various items to the employees of the company. It now has only 15 traders still sticking it out hoping to find customers.

Clinging to hope

Mr Godfrey Olunga, a tailor who paid Sh5,000 to acquire his stall at the market, is among the remaining traders, clinging to the hope that the miller will roar back to life.

“Before getting the stall, one had to get a recommendation from a senior manager at the company. We had a good life and the business was doing very well,” he said.

Entertainment spots in Shibale, Mumias, Mayoni and Ekero used to light up life and were filled with revellers in the good old days when residents had money in their pockets.

In 2015, Mteremko Pub, Florida Bar and Two Sisters Club were the most frequented joints in Shibale but have now closed.

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