Regional Museums in Samburu
Kenyatta House Museum, Maralal
It is at Kenyatta House, in what is monikered as the Runda of Maralal, the leafy suburbs of Samburu, that Independence was negotiated. Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was confined here for one-and-a-half years after his arrest in Kapenguria and short detainment at Lodwar. Mzee lived here with his young family when the negotiations for Independence from the British rulers were being made. It is at Kenyatta House that he wrote his much-acclaimed book Facing Mount Kenya.
On August 17, 1952, warrants were issued for the arrest of Jomo Kenyatta, leader of the Kenya African Union, and five other officers of the KAU by Mr. F. Wilson, then District Commissioner of the remote West Suk District in the Rift Valley Province. The warrants were issued at Kapenguria, where Mr. Wilson had his headquarters. Later that day, three of the accused were brought to Kapenguria Court and placed under arrest. The following day, the remaining three were arraigned and charged.
The arrest of the Kapenguria 6 – Bildad Kaggia, Kung’u Karumba, Fred Kubai, Paul Ngei, Achieng’ Oneko, Jomo Kenyatta – was part of Operation Jock Scott, in which hundreds of African political leaders and eight thousand others were arrested to remove the leadership of the infamous Mau Mau. Jomo Kenyatta, then 60, was the main focus of interest in the Kapenguria 6 trial. He was charged with managing an unlawful society from August 12, 1950 to October 21, 1952, when he was detained.
Judgement on the Kapenguria 6 was delivered on April 8, 1952. The trial found the six guilty as charged and sentenced each to seven years imprisonment at hard labour on each charge, the sentences to run concurrently. Appeals were lodged with the Supreme Court on April 21, and a hearing for the appeals was set for July 1. In total a 183 grounds were raised for the six. Kenyatta remained at Kapenguria Cells until 1959, when he was moved to Lodwar under house arrest for two years.
In 1961, Mzee was transferred to this house after nearly a decade of imprisonment and isolation, and it became his residence while awaiting freedom. The modest house, renamed as Kenyatta House after his release, has since been preserved as a museum, open to the public, where visitors can see artifacts and personal items that belonged to Kenyatta, including furniture and documents from the time. The building and grounds have been kept mostly unchanged to retain the ambiance of the era, offering an authentic insight into this pivotal moment in Kenya’s history.
Originally built as a residence for a senior British officer working in then Samburu District, the 3-bedroom bungalow, raised on 28 acres nearby Maralal, became the unconditional residence for Kenya’s first president, then a detainee of the colonial government, from April 1960 until August 1961. Jomo Kenyatta was moved here from Lodwar House in Turkana owing to the harsh climate and health concerns.
His stay here was short. In any case, the winds of change were signaling a new dawn for independent Kenya, and just over a year later Jomo Kenyatta went on to take the helm as Kenya’s Prime Minister, from 1963 to 1964, relocating to a stately mansion built for him by the Colonial Government at his hometown of Gatundu. He served as the first President from 1964 to his death in 1978. Today, Kenyatta House is a quiet but powerful reminder of Kenya’s path to independence and is often visited by history enthusiasts and travelers interested in Kenya’s heritage.
The regional museums in Kenya offer a fascinating journey through the country’s history and heritage. They look back at ancient civilizations, cultures as they were centuries ago, cottage industries, colonial legacies, and archaeological finding – in specialization or as a combination – to give insights on the past and present.
Index of Regional Museums in Kenya
Baringo County - Kabarnet Museum, Kipsaraman Museum, Biretwo Museum, Busia County - The Kakapel Cultural Center, Elgeyo Marakwet County - Tambach Museum, Homa Bay County - Abasuba Peace Museum, Kajiado County - Olorgesailie Museum, Kericho County - Fort Tenan Prehistoric Site, Kilifi County - The Gede Ruins, Malindi Museum, Rabai Cultural Landscape, Kisumu County - Kisumu Museum, Lamu County - German Post Office, Lamu Museum, Takwa Ruins, Marsabit County - Desert Museum, Koobi Fora Museum, Meru County - Meru Museum, Njuri Ncheke Museum, Migori County - Thimlich Ohinga, Mombasa County - Fort Jesus Museum, Nairobi County - Karen Blixen Museum, Judiciary Museum, Railway Museum, Nairobi National Museum, Nakuru County - Kariandusi Museum, Hyrax Hill Museum, Nandi County - Koitalel Arap Samoei Museum, Narok County - Narok Museum, Nyeri County - Nyeri Museum, Paxtu House, Samburu County - Kenyatta House Maralal, Trans Nzoia County - Kitale Museum, Wajir County - Wajir Museum, West Pokot County - Kapenguria Museum
Privately Run Museums Around Kenya: Rhodia Mann Museum, Treasures of Africa, The Adamson's Museum, Taita Hills Museum, African Heritage House, Rev. Wray Museum, Maa Museum Enashipai Resort, Swahili House Museum Lamu, Museum of Illusions, Kapkatet Kipsigis Cultural Museum, The Gikuyu Museum, Memorial Peace Museum
Samburu County, in northern Kenya, offers stunning landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and unique wildlife. Known for its stunning mountains, hills, remote wilderness, traditional Samburu culture, and less-visited national reserves, the county provides an authentic experience away from the popular safari circuit.
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Explore Destinations Nearby Kenyatta House Maralal
A Guide to Samburu County
A Summa Digest of Samburu
About Samburu Way Back When
50 Destinations in Samburu County, arranged as one would visit these - south, north, west then south - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
Shaba National Reserve, Buffalo Springs National Reserve, Ashnil Samburu Camp, Archer's Post, Chanler’s Falls, Umoja Cultural Village, Nashipa Eco Camp, Lion's Cave Camp, Samburu National Reserve, Samburu Sopa Lodge, Samburu Intrepids Camp, Ewaso Lions, Kalama Conservancy, Saruni Samburu Lodge, Westgate Conservancy, Rhodia Mann Museum, Meibai Conservancy, Mount Ololokwe, Namunyak Community Conservancy, Sarara Camp, Singing Wells, Reteti Sanctuary, Mathews Range, Kitich Camp, Sera Conservancy, Saruni Rhino Camp, Ndoto Mountains, Mlima Tatu, Ngurunit, Ngurunit Rock Pools, Camp Ndotto, Mount Nyiru, Desert Rose, El Barta, Samburu Hills, Baragoi Deanery, Nachola Site, Napong Hills, Losiolo Escarpment, Emuruangogolak, Kirisia Forest, Ngari Hill Lodge, Maralal Safari Lodge, Yale Camp, Maralal Camel Derby, Kenyatta House Maralal, Loroghi Plateau, Engare Narok Sanctuary, Lake Mbaringon
Know More About Samburu County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including a distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
Samburu is almost always hot! The driest months are January and February. The mean annual temperature is 29oC, with fast blowing winds especially on the lowlands. Rain is temporal and erratic.
Over 80% of Samburu lies within the fragile arid to semi-arid ecological vast block of Kenya. Altitude, excepting the ranges and mountains, varies from 2040 ms to 600 ms asl.