The Nairobi Gallery - African Art and History

Located at the intersection of Kenyatta Avenue/Uhuru Highway in the heart of Nairobi City is the Nairobi Gallery. Built in 1913, this was the Old PC’s(Provincial Commissioner) office building fondly referred to as ‘Hatches, Matches and Dispatches’ because of the births, marriages and deaths that were recorded here. Today, the building is a National Monument and serves as a museum holding temporary art exhibitions. Opening hours 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. Entry charges Citizens Adults sh.150, children sh.100 ,Residents( East African) Adults sh.600, children sh.400, Non-Residents Adults sh.1000,Children sh500.

Okay so i'm going to begin with this revelation, the first time i saw the Nairobi gallery building, i was not aware of what it was, so with my curiosity i asked mi madre about the place. I remember her telling me it had something to do with a cemetery so i lost interest. But everytime i passed by Nyayo House i still remained inquisitive, until i decided to actually go and find out what the building entailed. I convinced my brother to accompany me.To say the least i was visually pleased .

So to give you an overview of the place. Born in 1911 to a Goan trader and a Maasai woman Joseph Zuzarte Murumbi was Kenya’s second Vice-President from May 1965 until December 1966 (actually the shortest serving Vice president in Kenya). He resigned as vice president not long after the assassination of his best friend, the independence hero Pio Gama Pinto. Having started a collection of African paraphernalia in the 1950s, the Murumbis turned their attention to growing their collection of artifacts, postage stamps, jewellery, textiles and rare books. In 1972, Murumbi opened the continent’s first Pan African Gallery with his business partner, Alan Donovan, now chairman of the Murumbi Trust, and wife, Sheila Murumbi. Alan Donovan now runs the African Heritage House which is unfortunately set for demolition.

In the late 1976s Joseph Murumbi sold part of the collection to the Kenyan government at throwaway prices. If he had had his way, his collection would have been housed in his Muthaiga (a suburb in Nairobi) home which he had planned to expand to become the Murumbi Institute of African Studies with a library, hostel and kitchen. Unfortunately the government subdivided the land, allocating it to developers. It is said he died heartbroken after finding developers on this land tuning it into private real estate. He passed away on the 22nd of June 1990 without having his dreams realized.

Sheila Murumbi passed away in 2000 without leaving a will. Without a will, the collection was destined for England but fortunately, Alan Donovan with the help of then Vice president Moody Awori managed to halt the exportation of the precious artefacts. Eventually the collection was released through a deed of gift to the people of Kenya, represented by the Kenya National Archives and the National Museums of Kenya, who have signed a deed to maintain and exhibit the collections for locals and visitors to enjoy. These collections have now been reunited in this building, the Old Provincial Commissioner’s office. It is a fitting site since Murumbi tried to make this same building a Kenyan National Art Gallery during his time as Foreign minister.

Really amazing to see the vision Mr. Murumbi and his wife had a while back, that we are currently living to see and witness. Also on your way out is a art gallery shop with paintings and artifacts on sale, fascinating place to pick up some souvenirs.