1. Jomo Kenyatta statue: This statue, of the majestic-looking first president, is quite easily the best monument in all of Kenya. Kenyatta sits, wearing a traditional hat, kingly robe, and holding his horse-tail-cum-fly-whisk. It is the statue of a king. I don't think there's another one more awe-inspiring in Kenya.
The monument is located right next to the Nairobi Law Courts (now re-named "The Judiciary"?), which is the home of Kenya's highest court. Unfortunately, to get there, you have to talk to a guard and ask to be let in, or you have to through a parking lot and a back entrance, with no signs or introduction or anything. You kind of get the feeling you're trespassing.
2. Dedan Kimathi statue: This is probably now the second best statue in Kenya, which is pretty much in line with Kimathi's stature locally. Kimathi stands holding a home-made gun in one hand, and a knife in another hand. He stands defiant, resilient, a proud symbol of Kenyan resistance. (For more about Kimathi, see here.)
Erected just the other day, I must admit that, while the statue is great, the overall placement and accessibility of the monument leaves much to be desired. It's placed in the middle of the junction of Kimathi Street and Mama Ngina Street. There's no place to really stand up close to it, without dodging traffic. Also, again, no signs, no detailed explanations. Just a plaque that singles him out for his bravery and nationalism. Nothing in depth, just a snapshot.
3. Parliament: The structure itself isn't really all that amazing. There's a tower with a clock next to two unimpressive conjoined rectangles. Blah. Anyway, considering how often parliament is actually in session, it's usually pretty empty. A friend of mine wanted to take a picture, but the guards quickly put a stop to that.
(One time Halako walked by and saw a guy who was sitting on a bench near parliament get pulled off and beaten by guards as he held up his hands in self-defense. Did he do something wrong? She didn't know. All she knew is that the beating was definitely unprovoked.)
4. Uhuru Park: Former Tanzanian President Mwalimu Julius Nyerere supposedly called Uhuru Park "a little piece of Europe in Africa" (not an exact quote; uhuru, again, means "freedom"). If he actually did say such a thing, one has to wonder if it was true when he said it. It is clearly not true today. The park area is still nice, the artificial ponds are inviting. Yet the older monuments, such as the pyramid structure marking the pope's visits in 1980 and 1985, is falling apart. A large fountain nearby hasn't worked for years and is hardly inspiring.
Across the way is the Nyayo Monument. (Nyayo means "footsteps"; Kenya's second President Daniel arap Moi promised to follow in the footsteps of Kenyatta; pictured to the right) This monument, which apparently cost a million dollars to make, is still impressive.
5. Jomo Kenyatta's Mausoleum: What exactly is a mausoleum? I just looked this up on wikipedia for your benefit. I seemed to think that it had something to do with preserving the body (embalming), but that's pretty wrong. It's really just a tomb--maybe like a small stone structure where the body's buried.
Anyway, Kenya's first president (and the only one who's passed away) has a mausoleum and it's right next to the Parliament building. It's also across from the statue of Kenyatta in front of the Law Courts.
The other day we stood off in the distance a little and I explained that that's where Kenyatta was buried and that they won't let you inside or take pictures. Also that guards dressed up in these great red uniforms keep watch, though I didn't see any at the time.
Just then a guard came out of a small structure to let a worker through the gate. He called us over and asked what the problem was. Yes, standing outside of a national historical site prompts a "What's the problem?" We had none and walked away.
But it's interesting how the same president who kept Parliament and the Courts weak happens to be identified so close to those institutions....
6. War Memorial Statues: On Kenyatta Avenue, you'll find a statue of three African soldiers standing next to each other. Unfortunately, this monument is even less visible than the others. It's in the strip of land between traffic (what's that called?) and getting to it involves weaving through parked cars, dodging traffic, winding around a tree and crowding right up next to the thing.
But it's a memorial for the Africans who fought and died in both World War One and World War Two. I don't know those figures, and I'm not really sure if they're recorded as such. But the British colonial government definitely did recruit Africans to participate in that war (particularly the Asian front, to my understanding). Needless to say, those soldiers who survived the war were devastated to return home and find themselves still treated as third-class citizens.
7. Bizarre Monument to a White Man Who Devised the Road System in Kenya: I love this monument because I really don't understand it. It's also on Kenyatta Avenue, right next to the main post office (GPO). It's a box like structure that features engraved markings of the routes he devised and their distances. I don't remember the guy's name and neither does anyone else, actually. On top of the box is something like a globe, I think.
Anyway, the whole thing is enclosed in this black cage structure with a sharp edged top to keep out vandals, I assume. Did anyone ever think that this was a good structure?
8. Bookpoint and Prestige Bookstores: Yes, I'm nerdy. But it was a valuable visit b
ecause I got my friend some books on Dholuo, one of the most commonly spoken languages in Kenya, but not very commonly read or written. Hope they'll be useful in boosting her fluency.
6. War Memorial Statues: On Kenyatta Avenue, you'll find a statue of three African soldiers standing next to each other. Unfortunately, this monument is even less visible than the others. It's in the strip of land between traffic (what's that called?) and getting to it involves weaving through parked cars, dodging traffic, winding around a tree and crowding right up next to the thing.
But it's a memorial for the Africans who fought and died in both World War One and World War Two. I don't know those figures, and I'm not really sure if they're recorded as such. But the British colonial government definitely did recruit Africans to participate in that war (particularly the Asian front, to my understanding). Needless to say, those soldiers who survived the war were devastated to return home and find themselves still treated as third-class citizens.
7. Bizarre Monument to a White Man Who Devised the Road System in Kenya: I love this monument because I really don't understand it. It's also on Kenyatta Avenue, right next to the main post office (GPO). It's a box like structure that features engraved markings of the routes he devised and their distances. I don't remember the guy's name and neither does anyone else, actually. On top of the box is something like a globe, I think.
Anyway, the whole thing is enclosed in this black cage structure with a sharp edged top to keep out vandals, I assume. Did anyone ever think that this was a good structure?
8. Bookpoint and Prestige Bookstores: Yes, I'm nerdy. But it was a valuable visit b
ecause I got my friend some books on Dholuo, one of the most commonly spoken languages in Kenya, but not very commonly read or written. Hope they'll be useful in boosting her fluency.9. Kenyatta International Conference Center: This conference center (pictured on the right) calls itself something like Africa's best. Umm... Maybe. Probably the best in East Africa, but I imagine there's better in South Africa. Besides, while the building is closely identified with Nairobi, It's actually pretty ugly, along with the strange cone-shaped structure that reminds me of a vehicle designed to land on the moon.
Note: I published this Monday and did some updating Tuesday...
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