How political scores ruined the rich legacy of Nyahururu's iconic hotel

Squeezed between the Nyahururu Law Courts and Nyandarua Water and Sewerage Company is an entertainment joint that was once the pride of the country, attracting guests in need of accommodation from all over the world.
It was the only place for the high and mighty, prominent politicians, envoys, as well as local and international businessmen.
But the inside of the building where top national secrets were shared, political and business deals sealed, prominent merrymakers on honeymoon, and international visitors touring the Thomson Falls is in disarray.

Branded Hostel for the Nyandarua County Council, the building was officially opened on January 12, 1973, by then Minister for Local Authority, the late Dr Julius Kiano, a Murang’a veteran politician representing Kiharu Constituency, and also the first Kenyan to attain a PhD.

But all that glory is gone, leaving a shell of a building, and, even the late JM Kariuki’s favourite room, the second one from the far end, has its windows broken.

From the outside, the building seems perfect due to the repainting done by the new owner, but it's a different story from the inside.
Old furniture used many years ago is still in good shape, exhibiting the perfect workmanship of those days.
It’s a one-storey building at the main bar which also hosts the dance stage with extending lodgings, giving the building an L shape, a unique house appearance at the time.
Inside, the building has tales to tell, with potholed floors, a dilapidated kitchen, and filthy toilets, with tired and dull seats near the performance stage.
Ms Maria Wangai, who worked at the facility as a receptionist in the 1970s, has not forgotten the many prominent local and international visitors she served, and the corner where the late JM Kariuki liked to relax with friends, enjoying music and conversations with his guests, leaders, and the local community.

“JM Kariuki was a frequent visitor at the hotel, but at that time called it Hostel to retain its status since it was the best entertainment and guest house," said Ms Wangai.

"I remember JM Kariuki was a very interactive man, a keen listener. His killers must have had a very easy time trapping him to death. He was a very social man. He would sometimes spend days at the hotel meeting the residents and other guests, which is why he was so vocal and spoke things that resonated with the common man, things that poor Kenyans identified with. He was real and got first-hand information about issues affecting Kenyans and Nyandarua residents,” she added.

Ms Wangai says the building was always busy and fully booked by senior and prominent people, and tourists, and believes that the construction of the Hostel was meant to tap many tourists who would alternatively have traveled to Nakuru, Nyeri, or driven back to Nairobi after visiting the Thomson Falls.

Mr Kamutu Wanderi, a businessman in Nyahururu town and a  former senior civil servant recalls the hay days of the building.

He was posted in Nyahururu in 1978 and recalls that the Hostel was only the preserve of who is who in business and political circles.

Others who visited only did so through an invite, and most of the invites were either through JM Kariuki or former cabinet secretary GG Kariuki.
“This was the only place with accommodation suitable for prominent people. It was the only entertainment joint worth its name in Nyahururu town with discos every weekend. It was frequented by cabinet ministers, and most visitors from abroad would book in advance. The music was played by popular secular musicians like Wahome wa Maingi and others, the music and dance would go on throughout the night, I was then a young government employee. It was the most popular and important joint in entire Nyandarua," recalled Mr Wanderi.
He attributes the wastage of the building to the Nyahururu township ownership fight between Nyandarua and Laikipia counties.

“As you can see, the lodgings were nice, and well kept and the Hostel was very well managed. It was a very expensive hotel charging Sh150 per night (Sh 34,796 today) for Kenyans and Sh200 (Sh 46,395 today) for international guests.  With the Sh200 (Sh 46,395 today) salary I earned, it meant I had to save for three months to enjoy the comfort offered by the Hostel for the Nyandarua County Council, which was very expensive at that time,” said Mr Wanderi.
Beer was also expensive, a bottle selling at Sh1.50 cents (Sh 347) and Sh1.70 cents (Sh394 today) depending on the brand.”
He says Nyahururu town was a shanty, there was no bus park, and the current bus park is where Nyakinyua (women) used to conduct circumcision ceremonies.
“It was the only premises that was never forced to close during national ceremonies and events, all other shops and hotels had to close down," recalled the businessman.

"The abandonment started with the clamour for multiparty politics, senior politicians from the Rift-Valley stopped patronizing the hotel, but the situation was worsened by the coming of county governments as Nyandarua and Laikipia fought for the Nyahururu town ownership. This conflict was created by GG Kariuki who declared Nyahururu under Laikipia,” he narrated.
In those days, the premise was not fenced since there was no crime or prostitution, according to Mr Wanderi, who also chairs Nyahururu Bar Owners Association.

“One could park and leave the car at the premises for days without fear of vandalism or missing car,” he says.
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