Nyeri witnesses biggest ever scouts carnival

Scouts and guides march in the streets of the town led by St Paul Thomas School from Maragua on Sunday. Photo/ JOSEPH KANYI

Fifteen-year-old Saddam Abdi had never seen so many people in his life. The Form Two student was in a team of scouts from Mukaa High School that travelled more than 200 kilometres to Nyeri for the annual Founders Day, held annually in Nyeri town.

During the event, thousands of visitors — both local and international — congregate around what is easily Africa’s most famous grave; that of the Powells. Nyeri town hosts the shrine of Lord Baden Powell and his wife, Lady Olave Powell, founders of the scouts and girl guides movements.

Lord Baden Powell was born on February 22, 1857, and died on January 8, 1941. He first thought of a movement for boy scouts in a village in South Africa more than 50 years ago. It has grown to be the single largest youth movement in the world, with membership estimated at over 30 million — most of them primary and high school learners.

According to movement officials, at least four in every 10 people across the world have been involved in scouting, either directly or indirectly. Lord Baden Powell spent his last days in Nyeri and in his will, chose to be buried there, resisting pressure from his wife and friends to alter his will in order to be buried in Europe.

No amount of convincing would make him change his mind. And before Lady Olave died 36 years later, she directed that her remains be buried beside her husband. The couple’s graves continue to attract local and international visitors. Thousands of scouts and guides from Kenya and abroad, both young and old, throng their grave site next to the town’s public cemetery.

Founders Day

The annual Founders Day was held yesterday and officiated by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and former Parliament Speaker Francis ole Kaparo. According to the organisers, this year’s event was the biggest in history, attracting more than 20,000 visitors, most of them learners drawn from all corners of the country.

The gathering formed central Kenya’s only carnival with platoons of scouts and girl guides marching, singing, dancing and partying on the town’s streets. And the party was a windfall for central Kenya’s capital, Nyeri. Considering that each visitor spent no less than Sh300 for camping fees at Nyeri’s ASK grounds, Sh30 shillings for certificates of attendance, and at least Sh70 on expenses — Nyeri town bagged not less than Sh6 million in one day!

Investment experts say the annual event could easily become a major source of tourism income. The Kenya Scouts Association says over 50,000 pilgrims from Kenya and abroad visit the shrine every year, making the Powells’ grave one of the most famous burial sites in the world, only comparable to that of Elvis Presley.

But unlike many tourist destinations around the world, the Baden Powell grave site is easily the most under-used tourist attraction in Kenya — there are no curio shops or restaurants and not even adequate toilet facilities. Tourism stakeholders say the grave is one of the most under-exploited tourist sites in the world. Scouting movement officials say South Africans and Britons are still pushing to have the remains reburied in their countries. But the Kenyans are just not reading the cue.

“The Powell shrine would easily make Nyeri what Mecca is to Muslims, but we (scouts) cannot achieve this alone. We do not have the resources,” says the assistant chief commissioner of scouts, Mr Peter Kimita. According to the scouts association, at least Sh5 million is required to completely refurbish the Baden Powell tourist site.