The Library That Was and Continues To Be

At the junction of Wabera Street and Banda Street, a colossal building invites the imagery of another era. The architecture stands out, with imposing lion sculptures manning the flight of stairs leading to the entrance of The McMillan Memorial Library.

The building was given the name in honour and memory of Sir William Northrup McMillan – a traveller, and pioneer of European Agricultural effort in The British East Africa Protectorate. William was a successful businessman in the United States and Europe who took on exploring and finally settled in Juja area in the outskirts of Nairobi. Contrary to the custom of his time, his wife, Lady Lucie McMillan, accompanied him on many of his journeys around our continent. When McMillan died, Lucie was determined to preserve her husband’s legacy. She proposed the construction of a library to the Municipal Council of Nairobi, and the foundation stone was laid in 1929. After its construction, Lucie took the initiative of ensuring the library was protected by the McMillan Memorial Library Act – which ensured that the library would be categorized under Sites and Monuments.

With more than 400,000 publications, ranging from historical and philosophical books to newspapers from as early as the 1930s, the library is presently a haven for students, bookworms and researchers.

It is without a doubt that the library’s upkeep hasn’t been solely through the county government’s initiatives. Dedicated volunteers also help keep the library in good condition. The McMillan Memorial Library is open to the public throughout the week for tours and at a fee of Ksh. 1,000 individuals can receive annual membership. As for primary and secondary students, they get to enjoy the library at no cost.

With almost 90 years of continued service, the library has found a new lease of life through the initiative of The Book Bunk. Founding partners, Angela Wachuka and Wanjiru Koinange, came together to re-create the historical space, give it a much-needed facelift and usher it’s offerings firmly into this century. The duo is dedicated to making libraries treasured Kenyan zones, not just as reading centres, but as community spaces. Through Book Bunk, the McMillan library and its branches in Kaloleni and Makadara continue to be rehabilitated and in time, the team hopes to venture out to other counties. So what should we expect from this project? Certainly, more library tours, film screenings and other cultural events that will bring together Kenyans from all walks of life.

We salute the Book Bunk team for making Kenyan libraries a legacy worth treasuring for many years to come!

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The Book Bunk