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.
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.
A plaque signaling the opening of the Iconic Nyahururu hotel, Hostel in 1973.
Photo credit: Waikwa Maina
"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.
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
Photo credit: Waikwa Maina
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.
“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.
"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.
“One could park and leave the car at the premises for days without fear of vandalism or missing car,” he says.[email protected]
