The foundation of the modern day Kenyatta Avenue was laid down by one James Kerr Watson an architect and the owner of the huge Donholm Farm, which was where the estate with the same name stands today in Nairobi. The road was then known as 6th Avenue before it’s name changed to Delamere Avenue. After independence, the road was named after the President Mzee Kenyatta to the current name of Kenyatta Avenue.
The McMillan Memorial Library was established as a private library in 1931 in memory of philanthropists Lord William Northrop Macmillan and wife Lucie. Lprd MacMillan was the owner of the vast Juja Farm near Thika. The McMillan Memorial Library became public in 1962.
In 1909, Kamau wa Ngegi joined Church of Scotland Mission, Thogoto, where he did his basic education and carpentry training. In 1912 he finished elementary school and became an apprentice carpenter.
The Kenyan flag was raised at UN Head Quarters in New York on the afternoon of 16th December 1963 when the country was admitted to the United Nations. Representing Kenya was its’ Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. Kenya became the 113th Members of the Organization at the General Assembly plenary meeting that morning.
Julius Gikonyo Kiano was the first Kenya to get a PhD, which he obtained in 1956 from the University of California at Berkeley. When he returned to Kenya he started teaching at the Royal Technical College, now the University of Nairobi.
The Nairobi Town Jamatkhana commonly referred to by the public as “Khoja Mosque” is a house of worship of the Ismaili Muslims who are led by the Aga Khan. The name Jamatkhana, means “prayer house or mosque”. The foundation stone for the mosque was laid by the The foundation stone was laid by the Ag Governor Sir Charles .C. Bowring on January 4, 1920 and it was officially opened in January 14, 1922 (see photo)
Completed in 1909, the Thomas-Watson Memorial Church was built in the memory of Rev Thomas Watson who arrived in Thogoto as a Scottish missionary in 1898 and set up camp. He died on December 4, 1900 due to Pneumonia. Watson was married to Minnie Cumming Watson who started the first schools in Kikuyu land.
Kimathi Avenue is Nairobi was known as Hardinge Street until the 1960s and was later named after the Kenyan freedom fighter, Dedan Kimathi. Sir Arthur Henry Hardinge was the Colonial Head at the British East Africa Protectorate from 1895 to 1900 overseeing the construction of the Uganda Railway.
Koitalel Arap Samoei was born in 1860 and died in October 19, 1905 after he was shot by British Col. Richard Meinertzhagen under the guise of negotiating a truce, and was instead murdered along with his companions at Get Barak village in Nandi. He was an Orkoiyot (the supreme chief) of the Nandi people of Kenya, who led the Nandi rebellion against the British colonial rule.
Lady Gladys Delamere became the first female mayor of Nairobi in 1938 to 1940. She was the wife to Lord Hugh Cholmondeley Delamere.