16/04/2024
EPISODE 0041..
My Rer wajeer peers, it's DATE street and not DEAD street..(maqal majiraa)🤣.
It had the most date trees compared to other streets and hence the name derived from there.
This street was the commercial hub (cbd) & the most busiest in the old days.. It had the top creme dela creme hotels starting from my uncle's Nairobi hotel, Naseeb, new garden, kulan, malab hotels (ibrahim seer building) and Wananchi hotel of mzee Abbas Amin. Not forgetting the elite shops Bajoh, Abuukarow tailors, Mabuyu shop, mzee macho nne, m***a rasmi, Mzee adan jiran, bata shoe shop, Mama Ebla omar, mzee kassim aganje, mzee Haji ismail, mzee Abdalla daarte, Mzee Hassan indha gamoon (m.p yussuf hassan's dad),
Yussuf gulled, Jimmy's tawakal icecream. Abdi jiis kinyozi you name it. baraza park was level to this famous street on one end and Salim basabra wholesalers on the other end too.. The street was a hot potato and lit all night till the wee hours when it comes to miraa vendors and hawkers.
Ramadan time was even intense and off the chain, After taraweeh everyone gathered for a cup of 'qaxwa', kitumbu, kashata and other tamtamus. Guys playing ' sabca turub' outside new garden hotel, Some UT teachers and Ap askaris negotiating with mama miraas (mama dowlai & mama suurai) etc about how their salary was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances in short wa andikwe kwa kitabu ya deni "ku qor"🤣 while others listening to the melodious quran recitation from nearby shops.
I felt so sad hearing the name dead street and witnessing it's current plight.. so heartbreaking, despondent and despair. Let's make this street great again. DATE street was the talk of the town and it's history remains in the hearts of old boys & girls of wajir.. for those who didn't know now you KNOW.!!..
Allah yarham all those i mentioned who passed on.