Tuberculosis vaccination compaign,1972.

A team of health officers pose for a photo before commencing on a vaccination trail from Mbogoi-ini to Bahati area being led by renowned Amref international flying doctors service and cofounder Dr. Anne Sporrey at Subukia primary school playground in the year,1972.

The Earliest Dispensary in Subukia

Mr Daniel Ngugi directs me to the building that was the earliest dispensary in Subukia location seen from the above photos.

Was a great respite to the villagers who worked at Aubrey's farm and the nearby settlement schemes,as the nearest health facility from this was fifty kilometers away in Nakuru.
The road to travel was rugged and through forested areas inhabited by wild animals and was done by walking.
Seeing the plight of his workers, William Aubrey established a dispensary in 1945, of which he offered medical supplies to run the facility.

Engraved writing on the wall showing the date when this building was completed.

Esther Wairimu, a woman who hailed and had gained her experience in midwifery in Nyeri, became the first and only matron of the dispensary.
She served alone from 8th February 1945  until 1972.
Around 1964, after Kenya gained its independence, the dispensary was handed over to the then established church; The church of scotland to run. It served purpose until 1969 when the church became unable to manage the facility. By this time,the ruling government had established a new facility at the mushrooming Subukia centre. The place currently acts as Subukia sub-county M.O.H. health office.

Forest hill secondary school entrance. The old dispensary building is a few metres back on the opposite side of the road.

SUBUKIA SPORTS CLUB

Established in 1948 at what was Pedro's farm of which today is Kamumo farm.
The club housed a bartender, a tennis court,golf course and a restaurant that served different European cuisines. It's ambience is said to have been of prestigious beauty from the pool of waters with fountains and the tropical breeze that brew from the hillside.
Amongst the prominent persons who visited this place is Sir Philip Mitchell the colonial governor to Kenya and many white settlers who lived within Nakuru area to as far as Nanyuki.

The club as seen from the entry road.

Inside,the club was adorned with artifact collections from all over Africa. This precious items were stolen after the colonialists left.
The glory and the spirit of the place then was robbed. Today the building facility and the entire compound is in the hands of the Baptist Church of Kenya.

What used to be the golf course; today is a maize field.

The tennis court which today acts as a cow shed.

A servants quota.

Visible destruction over the years.

From right: Blog owner,Hezron Mwai and Stanley Ngugi; the man has seen and visited the club in it's heydays.

THE WHITE SETTLERS OF SUBUKIA

William.B.Aubrey.

Is said to be the earliest White settler at Subukia at an area called Forest Hill in the year 1925. He was English by birth of the Anglo Saxon origin and his father was a landlord of many houses in the city of london.His settlement led to the establishment of a small African village with majority being Kikuyu who were labourers of his farm.

Aubrey practiced large scale farming in coffee, wheat and dairy production. To manage this farm,He employed Reuben Gathii Wairagu an educated Christian male who hailed from Ihithe village in nyeri.

Reuben saw his education at Tumutumu mission schools.

During his tenure as a farm manager, he established informal education to the willing adult and young Africans in one of the farmyard houses during the evenings after work,whereby he taught them reading,writing and elementary mathematics.

In 1926, an adobe classroom was built to cater the increasingly number of learners from Forest hill village. This became the first and earliest primary school in Subukia known today as Kamumo primary school.

Aubrey also concented the class to be used as a church by the converts made by Reuben from the African faith and belief of the Kikuyu to the Christian faith. The teachings were based from doctrine of the Church of Scotland.

This first congregation was called 'kanitha WA gikuyu' meaning the Kikuyu church as the faithfuls were from the Kikuyu community.

He also established and offered medical supplies to a dispensary for the community around, which became the earliest healthcare center in 1945.

Aubrey at his entire life at Forest hill was not with her wife as it is said that she had passed on long before he settled here. Cynthia Mary Aubrey is known to be the only daughter of William Aubrey and was married to Mr Condon. After the death of her father in 1948,they resided at their father's home( Forest hill) until 1974 and later left for Karen area in Nairobi.

Cynthia died in1997 aged 85 years.

The earliest dispensary

The remains of his residence

The car garage