Mau Mau Museum in the making

AFTER 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE KENYA FINALLY SET TO GET A MAU MAU MUSEUM

(Posted 20th December 2013)

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Information was received from Kenya late yesterday about plans by the Nyeri county government to set up a Mau Mau Museum to showcase the country’s struggle for independence.

The Mau Mau were fighting the British to force independence, which was eventually attained in two stages, internal self government in June 1963 and full independence on 12th of December 1963, led by Kenya’s founder president Jomo Kenyatta, who had been imprisoned for several years during the colonial rule.

The county government made the announcement through the county governor during the independence day celebrations, that they wanted to construct a museum where besides the struggle also the history and culture of the Kikuyu tribe are being showcased. At the same time will important cultural sites be vamped up and prepared for tourists and locals to visit, to understand better what had transpired in the country before independence was finally granted. Britain has reportedly agreed to return to Kenya material and documents related to the insurgency which if correct will no doubt boost the exhibits of the planned museum.

Earlier this year have members of the former Mau Mau movement won a long pending court case in the UK for compensation from the British government for the injustices committed on the Kenya population and in particular those suspected to be Mau Mau members at time.

The Nyeri area of Kenya, located in what was long ago called the ‘White Highlands’, is one of the key hubs for tourism in central Kenya, with access to the Aberdare National Park where the famous treehotels like The Ark and Treetops are located but with equal access to wildlife conservancies like the Solio Game Reserve near Mweiga, and of course Mt. Kenya itself.

Numerous tourist lodges and hotels are operating in the county area or just beyond it, like the Aberdare Country Club, the Outspan Hotel and the Serena Mountain Lodge on the slopes of Mt. Kenya, supporting the local economy with jobs, trade and additional investment opportunities.

Boma Hotels, according to information at hand, is presently upgrading their meeting facility to a fully fledged 3 star Boma Inn and a recent investment conference held in Nyeri on 17th November has outlined the range of projects the new devolved system of government is now offering investors who would like to set up shop in the area.