|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
For decades, the people of Buna have been promised a tannery factory that was expected to transform the local economy, create employment, and add value to the region’s vast livestock resources. Yet, despite repeated political pledges and public expectations, the project has never materialized. The unfulfilled promise has become a symbol of the broader marginalization and neglect experienced by the town and its residents.
Buna is a small town and Sub-County in Wajir County, situated in the North Eastern Province in Kenya. Nearby towns and places include Ajao and Bute Helu.
It is a town where a tannery was launched for development but hopes dried and no one appears to care a hoot.
Historically, Buna is as old as Thika and is best remembered for its renowned leader, Ido Roble. During the East African Campaign of the Second World War, Buna became a strategic flashpoint between the Italian and British forces in northern Kenya. The town was occupied by the Italian Army in July 1940, which established a military garrison that remained until January 1941.
Buna is also remembered as the site of intense historical conflict between the Adjuran and the Borana communities. According to local oral history, the Borana were eventually dislodged by the combined forces of the Adjuran and the Rerow Diini.
Despite its rich history and strategic importance, Buna has suffered decades of neglect by successive governments. Many of its educated residents and professionals have migrated to urban centres in search of better opportunities, leaving the town underdeveloped, economically stagnant, and in gradual decline.
The accompanying video highlights the many challenges facing Buna today. Development projects that could have transformed the town have been abandoned, including a tannery factory that now stands idle. Buna continues to experience chronic electricity shortages, recurrent flooding, poor infrastructure, and inadequate public services. Despite the promise of devolution under Wajir County, Buna remains one of the most neglected areas, receiving far less than its fair share of development.
