Kinangop's Murungaru mini-museum preserving cultural heritage

Some of the artefacts preserved at the Murungaru Cultural Mini-Museum in Kinangop, Nyandarua County. The museum seeks to preserve elements of the African cultural heritage that have been rendered obsolete by modernity. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Murungaru Cultural Mini-Museum started in 2009 with the aim of preserving the Kikuyu traditional artefacts.
  • The museum is also home to a variety of species of endangered grassland birds.
  • They buy artefacts from the elderly members of the community who keep them in their houses.
  • The museum has a section telling the history of the white settlers and the Happy Valley.

With technological advances reaching hitherto far-flung hinterlands, Western civilisation continues to maul African cultures at a much faster pace.

But one group in Kinangop has decided to preserve their precious heritage in a mini-museum.

Murungaru Cultural Mini-Museum started in 2009 with the aim of preserving the Kikuyu traditional artefacts.

The main aim of this museum is to help future generations understand the culture of yesteryears.

It is a unique establishment since it also serves as a home for living birds, with its members restoring and continually planting indigenous tree seedlings on a lush pristine plateau.

The museum's curator, Mr Wachira Kariuki, told Nation.co.ke that they have managed to create a home for a variety of species of endangered grassland birds that now live there.

“We have birds like Sharpe's longclaw, the long-tailed widow bird and other rare birds,” said Mr Kariuki.

The endangered Sharpe's longclaw bird.

Through the help of Nature Kenya, the members were able to buy artefacts from the elderly members of the community who keep them in their houses.

“We decided to buy the traditional artefacts when we realised that the increased settlements had seen most trees destroyed and the habitat for most animals and birds cleared, something that was slowly killing the natural heritage, including trees,” he said.

He added that in the olden days, houses and farming tools were made from materials that were readily available in the forests, unlike today when everything is manufactured in jua kali or other established industries.

“In the past there used to be a richer nature and people could get almost anything they needed from trees, grass and other natural materials, but not anymore,” he added.

A colonial-era passbook on display at the Murungaru Cultural Mini-Museum.

Students and international tourists come to study the traditional culture of the various communities in the region.

He added that the museum was an important facility for people carrying out anthropological research and also helps in understanding better the traditional society.

The wooden-floor structure that houses the museum was built in the 1940s by a white settler, Mr Major Hills, and is also an attraction on its own.

The museum has four branches in Kinangop, occupying 200 hectares of land, with each providing an ecosystem for the grassland birds.

The not-for-profit museum is able to buy more artefacts and meet maintenance costs from the gate fees it collects from visitors.

“We charge Sh30 for students who are in a club or association and Sh50 for those coming individually, while adults pay Sh100.

“The funds help us in maintaining the museum and purchase of artefacts,” he added.

In the museum building, artefacts explaining the lifestyle of the past are displayed, ranging from types of foods, tools, entertainment and communication instruments to ornaments and traditional forms of medicine.

The museum has a section telling the history of the white settlers and the Happy Valley.

The Buxton House, the Happy Valley home of colonial aristocrat Countess Alice de Janze.

This also contains a display of the tools and weapons used by the freedom fighters.

The group consists of 50 active members and eight groups affiliated to it that conduct research at the museum and at the same time create income-generating activities for the locals.

Another section of the museum displays the type of denomination used for trade during the colonial era and the identification documents used then.

“Preserving these artefacts will make it easier to explain to the future generations on where we came from in the line of history,” he added.

Some of the traditional Kikuyu tools on display in the Kinangop museum.

Apart from being a tourist attraction, the museum has also helped members of the surrounding communities enjoy some benefits.

“The museum has also attracted a number of donors, who have helped the locals acquire knowledge on organic farming, adult education and development skills,” he added.

Mr Kariuki was grateful for the support given by the county government, which has given them a chance to showcase what they can offer to the society during the cultural days organised by the group.