Kenya National Highways Authority to honour heroes with museums
Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) is in the process of erecting museums on Mau Mau Road as an honour to independence war veterans.
KeNHA has written to stakeholders to identify locations where the museums would be established on the road, which links counties in the east and west of Aberdare forest.
In each of the four counties where the road passes, KeNHA in partnership with the National Museums of Kenya and Kikuyu Council of Elders will construct a museum after stakeholders agree on the suitable locations.
The 500km road connects Nyeri, Murang’a, Kiambu and Nyandarua counties.
The construction of the road, which started early this year, is slated to be completed by May.
KeNHA has formed committees from the counties tasked to conduct public participation about the proposal.
The committees are expected to agree on site for development of the museums in consideration of availability of adequate land and status of ownership.
The roads agency has also tasked the committees to recommend appropriate names for the museums, taking into consideration a name of a prominent Mau Mau war hero from the respective county.
In Murang’a, which has several historical sites on the periphery of Aberdare forest, the county committee is yet to agree where to set up the museum.
A section of stakeholders, who form the Murang’a committee, have proposed the museum to be set up at Tuthu area, a place where the Consolata Missionaries built their first church in 1902.
The missionaries got the land from the first colonial chief in the central region, Karuri Gakure, who hailed from the place.
Tuthu, which is in the upper parts of Kangema sub-county, is also renowned for being the origin of famous Mau Mau war veterans including General Kago and Ihura.
Already the Catholic Church has established a shrine at Tuthu where Christians go for prayer pilgrimages.
Once completed, the museums will have names of the independence war heroes among other artifacts to commemorate Agikuyu culture.
According to the chairman of Kikuyu Council of Elders Peter Mucheru Mareri, the elders will collect artifacts associated with the heroes to be preserved in the museums.
He said they already have some remains of the Mau Mau artefacts which will be kept at the museum as part of efforts to enlighten the current and future generations about the independence struggle. - KNA
