Only centre in South Rift that does not sell alcohol
Tenwek, the largest mission hospital in Africa. PHOTO | CORRESPONDENT | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Tenwek lives up to its reputation of purity in Jesus Christ and is the only shopping centre in the South Rift that does not sell cigarettes and alcohol.
- A power generating station was established at Tenwek Waterfalls many years ago by white people who worked at the hospital and changed the face of the shopping centre and how the locals perceived lighting and thunder.
- They believed lighting was a cockerel-like creature that lived at Tenwek Waterfalls until it unhappily moved deep into the controversial Mau Forest when the white men wanted to trap it and destroyed its habitat by building the power station.
It looks just like any other trading centre, save for its noteworthy name — Tenwek, a shopping centre within a hospital compound located eight kilometres off the Bomet-Silibwet road in Bomet County.
The centre attracts the attention of people both locally and internationally because it is home to the largest mission hospital in Africa.
Established in 1936, Tenwek Hospital’s motto is: “We Treat — Jesus Heals”.
Tenwek lives up to its reputation of purity in Jesus Christ and is the only shopping centre in the South Rift that does not sell cigarettes and alcohol.
There are two versions to the origin of the name. First, it is believed to have come about because it took 10 weeks to travel from Mombasa to the area by foot, thus, Tenwek is the Kipsigis’s corrupted version of the white man’s 10 weeks.
Second, in 1936, Miss Mildred Fernum arrived in the area. She had some nursing training but was not a fully trained nurse but used her limited training to take up dispensary work and helped in the deliveries of 10 babies in 10 weeks! And this is presumably how the name Tenwek came about.
It is also a place that is steeped in myth and history.
A power generating station was established at Tenwek Waterfalls many years ago by white people who worked at the hospital and changed the face of the shopping centre and how the locals perceived lighting and thunder.
They believed lighting was a cockerel-like creature that lived at Tenwek Waterfalls until it unhappily moved deep into the controversial Mau Forest when the white men wanted to trap it and destroyed its habitat by building the power station.
The cave situated below the falls, once housed “tiondab barak” (the animal of the sky) which used to stroll around the cave, holding a sharp axe and people feared talking about the animal when crossing a footbridge next to the cave because it was rumoured it could hear anyone backbiting it.
The cave and waterfall is a site to behold. One can also take a walk around lush green tea farms within the surroundings.
A chapel built in 1936 is still in use up to date.
Tenwek High School, established in 1945, has continued to send a large number of students to various universities locally and abroad.
Alumni of the school include Knut Secretary-General Wilson Sossion, the late Cabinet Minister Kipkalya Kones, Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok and Dr Florentius Koech, a neurosurgeon at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital among others.
