The tiny Maai Mahiu church built by Italian prisoners of war

The pentagonal Catholic church, an architectural masterpiece, was built some 81 years ago by Italian prisoners of war (PoWs) under the supervision of British colonialists. 

"The Italian Embassy in Kenya maintains the church together with the Kenyan government and the local community who value it as a historic site with a deep history," Ms Ann Nyakio, a volunteer caretaker of the facility for the past 15 years, said in an interview.

It remains unlocked 24 hours a day and is the only facility with an open-door policy, welcoming anyone to pray at any time, regardless of their religious beliefs.

Built in 1942, it has also become an ideal place for weddings, with many locals and tourists exchanging vows in the church, which has no resident priest. 

A series of drawings by Navitatis NDJC dating from 1943, with messages written in Italian (no English translation), adorn the walls of the church.

Inside Rome, the Italian capital, is Vatican City, a small independent country where the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, is also the head of state.

The smallest fully independent nation-state, Vatican City lies on the west bank of the Tiber River and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1984.

A huge tree, said to be 80 years old, stands in the grounds of the smallest Catholic church, its canopy adding to the beauty and providing much-needed shade when the sun rises and scorches the semi-arid region. 

The Italian POWs were among 37,000 captured by the British in Ethiopia and used to build the winding Mahiu Mahiu-Nairobi road.

The Italians are said to have worked in very difficult conditions, with hundreds succumbing to various diseases, including malaria, while others were killed by wild animals roaming the densely forested area.

Bishop Mc Carthy of the Catholic Church and the Governor at the time, Sir Henry Moore, gave permission for the church to be built at the request of the Italians, who were Catholic while the British were Anglican.

It was a major breakthrough for the Italians who wanted the right to worship even though they were being held captive by the British.

The church has a belfry - but without a bell, as this was stolen a few years ago in a burglary carried out by very daring thieves who also made off with a number of items, including a Bible.

"Local and foreign tourists, motorists, truck drivers throng the church to pray, others to admire the architectural icon that the church is," says Ms Nyakio, one of the three volunteers at the church. 

She says the three steps at the entrance of the church are symbolic of the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, as described in the Bible.

It has two crosses on the roof and a compass, three entrance doors and statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus inside.

To the right of the altar is a worn Bible, open in the middle, reflecting the open-door policy of the institution.

The church, whose windows are made of shards of coloured glass, is run by the Italian Embassy, the Kenyan government and well-wishers.

A few years ago, well-wishers built a stone wall around the church, giving it a facelift and improving its security after a break-in.

It is located on the road known for perennial traffic jams with trucks blocking the highway on a stretch linking Nakuru-Naivasha-Nairobi and Narok-Bomet-Kisii highway with Nairobi-Mahiu Mahiu.

Repeated calls have been made to the Kenya National Highway Authority (KENHA) to widen the stretch of road to ease traffic flow, which would also pave the way for the removal of broken down trucks from the main road for repairs.

A car wash has been set up next to the church, where the Nakuru County government has set up a cess collection point for transporters. It is an ideal place for motorists to rest, and a hotel has recently been built opposite the car wash.

It has been built in a natural setting, with bush surrounding it for several kilometres on both sides of the highway, while exotic trees have been planted on the outside of the wall to enhance and preserve the natural habitat for birds and animals.

The Mahi Mahiu trading centre, a short distance from the church on the turn off to Narok, Nairobi and Naivasha, is a busy stopover for truckers travelling through the East African region.

The centre has recently been expanded with modern buildings and hotels built by members of the business community, as well as a large number of petrol stations.

"Many tourists travelling to and from the Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Baringo and the entire western tourist circuit stop at the church not only to admire the architectural marvel but also to pray," said Mr Anthony Gatimu, a trader.

Mr Gatimu said the community was shocked when a break-in at the church was reported a few weeks ago, with the intruders carting off religious artefacts.

 "The church compound is refreshing and I usually stop here to pray and rest for a while before continuing my journey," said Mr Erick Kibet, a driver.

Bananas and a variety of flowers have been planted around the church compound, giving it a natural, refreshing look in an otherwise dusty and usually sunny area.

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