Sites that tell the story of Kisumu to be preserved

What you need to know:

  • Most of the structures were built during the colonial era, and the plan proposes that refurbishment of such buildings be restricted to the back

Arts and Culture Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario recently elevated 21 historical sites to national monuments, a move he said was in accordance with the National Museums and heritage Act.

The world over, major cities have in the recent past rolled out campaigns to conserve historic sites, places and buildings and save them from ruin.

Following the trend, the Kisumu County Government is mulling over plans to conserve the town’s old buildings for historical reasons.

The plan, according to the Director of Planning, Ms Evelyn Otieno, seeks to compel owners of such buildings to maintain their basic architecture even if they wish to expand them.

Ms Otieno said they were working on proposals which, if approved, will see owners of such buildings develop the backs of their structures while basically leaving the facades untouched for conservation purposes.

“Areas considered historical sites such as the Kisumu Port will be earmarked for development,” Ms Otieno said.

Others are the Town Hall, the County Assembly building, the University of Nairobi (formerly the British Council library), Kisumu and the Sikh temple.

The development of Kisumu town can be traced back to the early 1900s during the construction of the Ugandan railway.

FIRST SIKHS

The Sikh temple, located on Temple Road, is an integral part of the history of the Sikh community in Kisumu, which celebrated its centennial anniversary last year.

It is named the Siri Guru Sikh temple and is located a few metres from the Kisumu city clock.

Historian Cynthia Salvadoori, in her book Through Open Doors: A View of Asian Cultures in Kenya, says the first batch of Sikhs (150 of them), was brought to Kenya by the British in 1895 to police the construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway.

Meanwhile, the University of Nairobi building is a step ahead after its former occupant, the British Council, signed an agreement with the university to preserve it when the latter bought it in 2005.

When it was still occupied by the British Council, the building, situated on Oginga Odinga Street, also served as a theatre for thespians from Kisumu and outside the lakeside town.

A few metres from the British Council is the Town Clock. The clock, which is on the intersection of Oginga Odinga Street and Mosque Road, was unveiled on August 19, 1938 by the then governor of Kenya, Sir Robert Brooke-Popham.

ROLL OF HONOUR

Inscriptions on its tower indicate that it was built in memory of an explorer called Kassim Lakha by his sons Mohamed, Alibhai, Hassan and Rahimtulla. Mr Lakha is said to have arrived in East Africa in 1871 and died in Kampala in 1910.

And the Kisumu Town Hall was built by the colonial government in 1957.

The building currently houses the city manager and her staff.

Archive records indicate that the building’s foundation was laid by Sir Evelyn Baring, then governor of the colony and Protectorate of Kenya, on July 11.

Adjacent to the city hall is the County Assembly building, also a landmark in the history of Kisumu.

The foundation stone was laid by the Nyanza Provincial Commissioner K.L. Hunter, on June 25, 1949. It was opened on September 18, 1953, by Provincial Commissioner C.H. Williams.

Inside the debating chambers is also a roll of honour with the names of those who participated in the 1939-1945 World War II.

Assembly clerk Nelco Sagwe said the current debating chamber was initially used as a meeting hall by the African District Council, which brought together chiefs from Kisumu, Siaya and parts of Busia.

ROTTING PORT

“Upon independence, the building was handed over to the independent local authority, which in turn gave it to the county government after the 2013 general elections,” said Mr Sagwe.

Opposite the chamber is a building currently housing the assembly speaker, clerk and Leader of the Majority, also built around the same time.

In September last year, members of the county assembly passed a motion paving the way for the construction of a Sh808 million debating chamber.

Majority Leader Samuel Ong’ow said the new assembly block will include offices for all the members, as well as increased sitting space for the public and the media in the gallery.

“The building we are in currently lacks air conditioners and fans, which has made sitting for even just one hour unbearable due to hot weather,” he said.

Also to be considered is the Kisumu Port, which was constructed in 1901, when the railway from Mombasa reached Kisumu.

The port, whose facilities have deteriorated and is suffering an invasion by the hyacinth, has a cargo capacity of over 1,200 tonnes.

It is rated as the best in East Africa by shippers owing to its strategic location. But it currently receives three vessels a week at most.

The collapse of the railway adversely affected its operations; it used to provide a shorter and cheaper export route and provided links with Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.