THE FALL OF A GIANT FACTORY THAT KILLED A TOWN: The story of Panpaper mills and the fall of Webuye

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[@SamuelKgaugeloMoremi]

I am from South Africa and I have a brother from Canada who constantly visit your channel, we struggle to understand some comments made by the participants in your case studies as they speak Kenyan language, could you please try translating and having English subtitles to accommodate a wide and growing audience? thanks.

[@ralphsimpson5230]

I am Scottish and have the good fortune to speak Kiswahili. One day It will be the Lingua Franca of Africa.

[@JominoMboyz]

I'm kenyan based in Joburg nkakhutusa chomy Swahili li sizulu dia fana just like setho n pedi

[@LessonWorldTV]

Just watched this and it evoked memories of what happened to a lot of Zimbabwean industries too. I recall as a young child hearing about ESAP, ESAP, ESAP till I finally learnt it meant, Economic Structural Adjustment Programme. I am not an economistbut from 1989- 1995 things started changing for the worse for a once thriving Zimbabwe 🇿🇼. I saw it as a child with my own eyes.. WHAT WAS HAPPENING???? By the time we hit the year 2 000 with the Land Dispute and the subsequent Farm Invasions that was the beginning of the biggest exodus of young Zimbabweans from my country. I hurt so much typing this as I am one of the many kids of the Zimbabwe's booming 80s and early 90s who are now living in the cold and VERY lonely Diaspora....you have to experience it to UNDERSTAND it..What happened to Pan Paper Mills happened to so many countries across Africa that had relationships with the World Bank and the like.......😭😭😭! I shall stop typing here. I cannot go on.....😔

[@trendinggossip8692]

😭😭

[@wangui0011]

((Hugs)) watching this is hard. So many broken dreams

[@paulchonzi6463]

Thanks you for such a good post. I happened to live in both countries 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe and Kenya 🇰🇪 Webuye town. You have nailed it. It's so painful the stories of great industries go down the drain. Africa we are doomed.

[@GabarTV7]

I worked on maintenance at this factory 1992-93 they paid well I was so disappointed in the news that pan paper died. Where were the leaders of the region.

[@antonynkanata1834]

Yeah. That's why I said awhile ago that Pres WRuto is taking Kenya Zimbabwe way. Why can't he revive such facilities if he is serious with improving the economy and mwanainchi welfare.

[@charlesmumali2272]

What a great memory!!! My father, uncles, and brothers worked here. It was home away from home. I can't get enough of it. When Pan Paper was Pan Paper, we were the cool kids you hear about.

[@briannjoroge2344]

I grew up in Webuye. This takes me back! Those days in Webuye ACK primary school, I could see clearly the machines doing their thing. The siren "king,ora" for shift change for the workers was one of the best time keepers for the entire town, 7AM, 12 noon, 5PM, like clockwork, every single day without fail. Webuye was the place to grow up for sure. I lived in the national estate shown in this video right next to the railway line that transported fuel to the factory and came out with huge industrial paper rolls.

[@basketballupdatesproductio9202]

Nostalgic memories indeed...You've reminded me of how sweet life was. I schooled at Webuye P.A.G., used to hear of Webuye A.C.K. primary, had never been there. That was back in late '90s to 2002

[@kennethchengasia1252]

wow I see my childhood friends, I also schooled in Central then I moved to P.A.G we use to play football inter estates man! it was a real life

[@johnk6214]

Njoroge growing up in Webuye?, just asking.

[@charityoketch9022]

For a person who was brought up in Webuye town, since my dad used to work here, this is very sad. I remember Webuye with a lot of nolstagia since I literally spent all my childhood in this town, national estate

[@basketballupdatesproductio9202]

True...my dad worked there till 2002 when he resigned

[@dorothylodenyi895]

Holds alot of memories for me too..my whole childhood

[@dorothylodenyi895]

Brings back alot of memories,this literally holds all my childhood..we hope and pray that one day Webuye will go back to what it used to be or even better

[@annkinyua1791]

Cant wait for you to do a documentary of Nakuru,from a farmers town to a city...we have great resources of people around that we can hook you up with ...

[@LessonWorldTV]

This is beautiful! I love your spirit.

[@collinstogoch761]

This is so sad considering how the collapse of the factory affected the livelihoods of many people in and around Webuye who depended on the factory.I grew up at our rural home near Kaptagat Forest in early 2000s and a convoy of trucks ferrying wood logs could pass everyday transporting them to Webuye Pan papermills.

[@godfreymwaura5373]

Hello enock,new here and I just love documentaries and happy to be here.keep bringing more as we in diaspora feel at home after watching your docs.

[@philemonekina9320]

Many factories in Kenya have fallen just to make the rich richer by bringing imports and selling them very expensive. Sadly our leaders will only use it as a campaign tool by promising poor Kenyans on how they will revive them. Good documentary, please do another on Mumias and more factories.

[@LessonWorldTV]

Africa and Africans we NEED to think differently about how to make Africa great for ourselves. I however think there cannot be a great Africa unless we as Africans have great thinking or great mindsets. Our deprived environments and circumstances are just a reflection of our deprived, poor, lacking mindsets and I am speaking to myself and every other African.

[@Rosengendo]

sure but also when we push for higher salaries and not reduce cost of productions it leads to investors to move to new places. Also supply of raw materials lack of enough trees led to collapse of pan paper?

[@yunisgulet6105]

Why don't you be open enough to say raila and the thug uhuru are responsible

[@mahmmudali7740]

My home town where I grew up from in late 80's to earlier earlier 90's ,my dad used to work at panpapper social hall ,I can't forget my old memories of panpapper nersary sch ,Ac primary sch,sango ,railway,pan panpapper stadium,when I watch this video I fill like crying

[@Sizzlinsothie]

The killing of a giant factory...this company would be back on its feet had it been in central kenya..

[@martinirungu6989]

This won't sell, central too have some dead factories

[@alexandermutune6131]

The Abaluyhia killed their own factory through corruption.

[@Sizzlinsothie]

@@martinirungu6989 mt kenya leaders know how to fight for their people..western kenya leaders ni complete opposite

[@johnkiai2727]

Unfortunately no, all leaders are nowadays greed. It’s about them. Tea and coffee factories in the central kenya are falling everyday not to mention the prices of the same former cash crops

[@mpendakiswahili3053]

What!! Huna habari, huko wakulima wa kahawa na majani chai, wameishi kudhulumiwa...

[@vivianneakumu39]

You have done this brilliantly....that is home for me .I wish someone could have done something to keep panny like we called it alive .sad.

[@queentonochieng3885]

This reminds me of Thika. A booming industrial town back in the days. Companies like Thika Cloth Mills, Synthetic Fibres, Leather Industries all died due to imports and so did jobs and livelihoods

[@footballhighlights7222]

thika cloth mills is back bro...

[@TheCos112]

All the big wigs were killed , kenya has a potential it is only killed by the fake pple how pretend to represent us .😢😢 kenya was a manufacturing hub with plenty of exports

[@bomb2060]

Deep nostalgia. Do a part 2 featuring the state of National Estate, Equators, and Guest house.

[@basketballupdatesproductio9202]

My wish too...Used to live in National Estate around Webuye P.A.G. Primary

[@vincentomboho5001]

Please also do a video on the "DARK SIDE OF KISUMU" We can help out in this. A wreckage of factories, Poor roads, Poverty, pathetic and sorry state of transport systems. Abandoned GoK Buildings and offices among others.

[@KenyanHistorian]

Noted bro. Will work on it sir.

[@bumblebee4280]

Abandoned buildings? Why?

[@tabzkimani3561]

Thank you very much for sharing our history as Kenyans may God bring back industrialization and technology to revive our economy

[@stanfordkizito1765]

I appreciate your efforts for this wonderful documentary i crew up in webuye i went to mukhuyu primary school,D.E.B primary school i was among the first students to go A.C primary,I remember the beautiful staff housing in webuye the National estate and the rest we used to watch Indian movies and life was wonderful remember the trains and the temporary market that would happen when the then 'mixi' passenger train arrived from Uganda what a great nostalgia

[@tkjumbe]

As someone who grew up in a village near Webuye, I remember my primary school days in 90's when the pan paper siren or "king'ora" as they say, (at 7am, 7.30am, 12pm and I think 4pm) was our only watch. This factory was not only just supporting the economy of this region, but was helping small boys and girls to keep time. A lot of water has gone under the bridge now, but the bottom line is, absolutely no country in the world has ever developed by killing it's local manufacturing industries. Kenya has killed pan paper, nearly all sugar factories in the western belt, rivatex, raymond, ken knit (almost), kcc (almost) and many that I can't mention. This is our waterloo. Year in year out we will cry about joblessness in this country, and we will keep crying until Jesus comes back, until we come to appreciate that without a robust manufacturing sector, our efforts are futile.

[@mosestm2970]

I normally shade tears whenever i pass by that town and that factory, with rusted conveyor belt guard rails ,organized water treatment system, stadium and what used to be stuff residence that accommodated every employee.😢.

[@kenyanadventureman2988]

What I miss is those days we sat watching lorries carry logs of trees on the Webuye-Kitale road. I also lived near a forest where those machineries would cut trees and load them onto lorries. Nostalgic!

[@nyakwarObat]

I don't miss it at all. Destroying forests for our overconsumption of papers is part of the reason why global warming is a problem. If you have to plant and farm trees for this. Not Destroy existing forests

[@kazibamicheal6997]

Thika has a similar story to Jinja Uganda. These giant industrial towns are suffering from derelict industrial buildings. In Jinja we also had Papco, Chillington, BAT etc.

[@simonwainaina7360]

BAT seem to stay afloat as smokers increase because of stress 😬

[@Bena932]

This is a master piece. Done with military precision

[@bonfacemburu8352]

My home town back then. What a nostalgic documentary.

[@rebwabbz44]

We have not just corrupt but very evil politicians, may they never find peace while we suffer 🙄

[@rootsofafrika]

Hahaha jokes on you, Kenyans deserve the leaders they elect.

[@heraldloshi1864]

AMEN 🙏

[@user-bn1ki2ni8m]

My hometown back then..schooled in webuye P.A.G primary school aki those days 😢😢.chocolate estate na national estate,site bado ziko..kìnly do a video of the estates

[@AlphonsoTheTrader]

I appreciate the good work you are doing to upload the best documentaries..

[@ralphsimpson5230]

I went to school in Eldoret in the '50's. I returned to Kenya and worked for the Mowlem Construction Company. I was on the team that built this factory. We had a camp by the river that supplied the water. I was newly married. I and my young wife loved living and working there. I shall continue this bado kidoo.

[@AnganaJrVlog]

these reminds me of my good old days at ST.JOSEPHS RC...the mill was of great importance to the town.

[@stefardtech7050]

Your work is truly amazing. 👏👏

[@ManG20245]

Good work as always - a lot of research goes into such work.

[@andrewwafulakenya7114]

.Am in love with this educative and interesting documentary

[@johnnjoroge2773]

Very very informative and excellent done Narrative. Keep up with the good work.

[@okothomondi]

Crying for my beloved Kenya 😭😭😭

[@blessed1909]

We all are 🤷‍♀️selfish politics all over 😢

[@noxiousmashairi]

my favourite documentary youtube channel..

[@lucymitei1020]

This is really sad. How I wish such stories can be used as learning curves for many upcoming industries. There is a tone of lessons here on industrial revolution in African context. Kudos to the journalist.

[@rameshmulumoodi1549]

I worked in Pan paper from 1996 to 2001 as Superintendent Engineer - Instrumentation. I still remember my colleagues Geffery Mayamba, Patrick Mayabi, Laban Unziru, Songole, Gitinji, Victor Muti, Kamau and others.

[@machukib]

I visited the PMI as a young high school student and it was so cool to watch wood to paper.

[@IamJemoh]

The son of soil is back home! So sad! I am from Bukembe. My uncle used to be a truck driver for panpaper. He used to haul trees to the paper mill.

[@kakatimolive3240]

Sikolia you have made me to remember those days untill i shed tears

[@lucysiringwani9931]

Abandoned Engineering!!!. So sad to witness this. I went to Lugulu girls up the road in the town hay days.

[@Joz_art]

This is my second of your documentraries to watch. Very informative and professional.

[@UnschooledProffessor]

The lady at 22:43, the market lady. She can make a good politician Her laughter is so infectious and her eyes Nice docunentary

[@omegalevy]

Great work sir! I am one many who were raised by Panpaper. Quite nostalgic

[@MikeMarshall17]

Great piece

[@sportsKicker23]

It went down so that someone else can Import the same paper make money😭 but killing the economic side of the Webuye people, Employment, Mama Bongas, schools, hospitals and this is how slow we have killed our country due to small people selfishness

[@goku5366]

Changamwe Oil Refinery should be covered next

[@kidongelathestoryteller4611]

Nimekosa wifi for long but now as a number one fun I'm back

[@e.m.k.2018]

.....this is a world class narration. Kudos.

[@Rosengendo]

great work

[@johnwanangwe4324]

What a master piece Enoch. Great memories.

[@razzjoxe254]

Great work 👌🙏🙏🙏 I appreciate you 🎊

[@nicodemusabungu9056]

I am surprised you didn’t interview any of the former or current big-shots in the company! Why?

[@guy_next_door3298]

manze,so emotional watching this.

[@james_muritu]

There was a similar company called East Africa Bag and Cordage in Juja. This company was the largest sisal processor in East Africa and used to manufacture carpets, gunny bags and all sorts of sisal products. At one time, the company employed thousands and thousands of Kenyans. There were homes for casuals, supervisors, managers and directors. I vividly remember our small house no 169! There were schools, churches, football fields, dispensary etc. I remember my dad going to work every morning and nigh shift sometimes. Then cheap imports struck, the company shutdown and everyone was sent packing home!! A country that kills manufacturers becomes a slave of foreign masters..

[@freddiejuma6245]

I was a trainee at panpaper, memories it was the heart beat of webuye town, it was destroyed and thousands of families rendered jobless just for few individuals to import to import paper

[@simonwainaina7360]

Name them 😝

[@valleyadventures254]

Great work Mr. Enock Sikolia 👏👏

[@blessed1909]

Enock you doing a great job 🙏 am a great fan of yours both TV and on social media . Keep doing it bro 😊

[@hajiempire8541]

Big up enock ur work speaks volumes

[@christophermajune4350]

My Child hood memories, I still treasure this place.

[@christophermajune4350]

Good Job Enock.

[@georgeteteya3454]

Well done feature, good & productive Journalism 👏👏

[@ndunguwanjenga4635]

Well documented. Good job Enock. Sad story. Hope Rai will bring the factory back. Even better

[@robertodero2023]

Look at the bigger picture. See how lush and leafy that town is. A lot of forests flourishing.

[@brian_jake]

the environment was paying the price

[@mpendakiswahili3053]

Hahaha

[@catywan4294]

I had same feeling. The fact that trees were used, the environment was suffering because control on deforestation was not there.

[@eldios831]

Trade offs

[@filbao8113]

@@catywan4294 yap

[@VictorNyagol_Sir]

Nice work... Really enjoying your videos

[@quotes6687]

Please do abt collapse of Pyrethrum industry in Kenya...plus the unpaid Pyrethrum Co retired staff pensioners...and the farmers

[@dennohdboy.8783]

This is information I never knew. One day it will rise again. Thank you brother

[@mpendakiswahili3053]

How, we don't have trees to cut

[@gracekathryne]

I like what you're doing...keep it up Enoch

[@bhikhuradia5642]

Nostalgic feeling. We used to live in Malakisi which was affected in a similar state😰

[@oumabaros]

Good documentary...

[@kidongelathestoryteller4611]

Masterpiece

[@vukaborder3775]

.... sweeet old times of the 80's and early 90's, am a kid of cotton ginneries ...mwea, salawa & makueni ginneries to be precise! ... i always visit these childhood places to show my kids & to rekindle my childhood memories! - many folks don't realise during these times Kenya was neck to neck with some of the Industrialised nations today! ... & instead preserving this places after their collapsed, some of them have been sold off to private people who have either cut them up into plots & some converted them into resorts & hotels! How do you sell off such pieces of history?

[@trendinggossip8692]

Wow, your niche is special and different. Please keep doing this

[@mylifeasmiller8998]

This is my hometown..I remember my dad used to work there ..life was sooo good ..but since its collapsed..most families were broken .so sad to see this

[@dankurgat7316]

Enock sikolia was such a fantastic journalist. We miss him on our screens

[@wilsontoo8023]

Excellent reporting..Enock Sikolia

[@marymapenzi6393]

Your videos will reach million views one day

[@johnodande6295]

Hello, Enock. You re-uploaded this? I remember watching it sometime back.

[@Miminiwababa001]

Moi régime destroyed most of the Giants industries in Kenya,and now Ruto's regime is almost heading there,killing local manufacturers.so sad to see Kenya going back to the dark days🥲🥲

[@gospellivepraiseandworship3115]

Dude you just showed our previous home at Chocolate estate House G. man i couldnt cotain tears.

[@thikaroadhealthservices9674]

wow.what a sad story .hope its revived again

[@martinirungu6989]

Good content brother. Keep up. Ruto government should do something

[@tommakokha4324]

good work bro

[@johnathanmunai3891]

A great learning for the just elected leaders...not to politicize businesses. A case in point kericho county leadership targeting multinational companies operating within kericho and bomet counties....

[@gedionmule866]

Kindly do a story on petroleum in turkana

[@Fundi-professional]

It's sad to see people stagnating hoping that it will come back to life, we should learn to move on and rebuild our lives again

[@kelvinkibaara9022]

it gives a picture of old good days. its true the raw material availability is the cause of delayed roar to life and that is understood. PLEASE PLEASE Enoch feature a story of the collapse of KPCU

[@gertrudeochanda2154]

Enock please do a piece on KARI muguga... This was the most outstanding research centre back then

[@Major_Okwiri]

No politicians should talk about reviving economy and joblessness without talking about reviving Industries and agriculture our miseries also of not being on the 'side of government' had the sugar factories, panpaper, textile industries be running people would have not come to look for jobs in Nairobi as guards, cleaners, loaders etc

[@Mundia.]

The raw materials for paper is trees, this factory would have caused a lot of deforestation in the country. It's sad for the many families who relied on the factory.

[@johnkiai2727]

I thought they grow the trees that they’ll cut? Same thing that kakuzi does. So trees are grown like crops to be havested later.

[@lawrencekoskei5609]

How about private factories like Tim sales , Comply industries and Raiply eldoret .? They also buy from the local community just like Pan paper Mills used to do.

[@Mundia.]

@@johnkiai2727 they should do that, but if they have not been planting the trees it will take time, growing a forest for tree harvest can take time to be self sufficient.

[@Mundia.]

@@lawrencekoskei5609 the factory should be rehabilitated, and in the right manner not to cause deforestation, its a big factory. Remember protection of Forest and nature in Kenya comes first.

[@dennismbaabu7]

being in the sawmil business for some time i can tell you for free the kenyan government is so strict on forest harvesting tress that are normally processed are the old tress so younger ones can grow also windfall tress and we also did thinning so as to space out tress

[@brianwakhutu2554]

I hope the new government will do something about PANPAPER

[@peterfredrick2414]

Waaah Kenya kwisha

[@simwaduncan777]

Awesome content, just like the nice content of Le Grand Media Channel.

[@StephenMumbwani]

I schooled at Kabras (Chebwai) the factory served way beyond Webuye at the time at my Turbo home along the highway it would not Pass 10minutes before you could see a truck curing logs to PanPaper it employed very many at my neighborhood (that's about 50km away from the factory!

[@kakatimolive3240]

I love this sikolia omwana weru

[@gracekirigo]

Na kuna Njoroge pia

[@trevormorara9770]

This documentary made me emotional seeing how: people went down, No business, Mental and financial stress, Nothing to work for. Kenya has a big potential to grow if only we get proper management. I JUST LOVE MY COUNTRY. But I don't see if this company will ever come to life No trees to make papers just a lot is missing . The damage is beyond repair and the debt is up on the sky.

[@mpendakiswahili3053]

Hii imeogelea

[@mkenyamzalendo4130]

Tribalism and government appointments killed most industries in Kenya. Unless we shun tribalism and corruption we will still be in poverty.

[@MrAlbertosh]

Very good reporting and presentation of our history. Keep it up.

[@DaxL_net]

Kenya sugar industry from muhoroni, Sony, mumias and others are suffering from mismanagement and ceos that are not equipped to handle operations and make them profitable

[@luketarus2769]

It's unfortunate the industry closed down rendering many jobless,hopeless and homeless.Kenya lost foreign exchange.

[@michaeljoseph4910]

Please do one on mumias sugar