The tin-roofed ‘birthplace’ of modern Nairobi where law and order reigned

After suffering the ignomy of being locked out of the centre of Nairobi by the reprehensible railway authorities, John Ainsworth, Commissioner for Nairobi under the East African Protectorate, got his revenge when the Protectorate was moved from the Foreign Office to the Colonial Office in London early in 1901.

This gave His Majesty the Commissioner authority over the Protectorate, including the railway.

Allibhai Mulla Jeevanjee had made a fortune by supplying Indian labour for the construction of the railway and other services.

By 1900, Jeevanjee’s fortune was estimated to be worth in excess of four million pounds sterling (£8bn in today’s equivalent).

He offered to build houses for the colonial administration on condition that the land he so developed would be leased to him for 10 years and an agreed rent would be paid to him during that period.

At the end of 10 years the government would have the option of buying the building or relinquishing the land to Jeevanjee.

John Ainsworth agreed to Jeevanjee’s proposal and construction work commenced. Among the buildings erected by Jeevanjee were the following: Ainsworth’s House on the site of the present Lecture Hall of the National Museum, Ainsworth’s office (now the administration wing of Moi Avenue Primary School), a Town Hall which also served as a court (present site of Imenti House), the Survey Department next to Central Police Station and the first museum (site of present day Windsor House).

In appreciation of his services Jeevanjee was given the land between University Way and Biashara Street. On this land he built the new Indian Bazaar, which was earlier located on a marshy area at the north end of Victoria Street (current Tom Mboya Street).

He donated part of the land for Jeevanjee Gardens, a recreational park for all races and on its west side, built Jeevanjee Market.

Prior to this, the Municipal Council had planned to build a market for Europeans only but Jeevanjee built, at the cost of 100,000 rupees, a market that was accessible to all which became an important outlet for African agricultural produce.

He also owned buildings on Victoria Street in Nairobi, McDonald Terrace (Nkrumah Road) and Kilindini in Mombasa and in Kisumu.

By the end of 1901, the Nairobi Commissioner’s office was complete on what was then known as Station Road and Ainsworth quickly moved in.

The building is constructed in a u-shaped plan with dressed stone walls under an iron sheets roof. Doors are made of panelled timber while windows are glazed in wooden casements. Floors are finished in a variation of granite and cement screed.

The original plaque indicating the government inventory number (EAP 0) is still present. It has certainly seen better times and a thorough refurbishment would be welcome.

The building is gazetted as a national monument.

After Sir Charles Elliot was appointed His Majety’s Commissioner for the East African Protectorate, he changed the name of Station Road to Government Road in 1901.

Ainsworth would remain Commissioner for Nairobi from 1899 until 1906 during which period he asserted his authority and created order in this “tin roof” town.

He was responsible for planting many of the trees in the city centre which still stand today. By the time he was transferred to Naivasha in 1906, the seat of government had been moved from Mombasa to Nairobi.

The site of the commissioner’s office was turned into a government school for Asian girls in 1938, study taking place in bandas around the main building. The language of instruction was Gujarati.

In 1952, the girls moved to the new Dehli Road Urdu School. The school was renamed Government Road Primary School and became a junior primary school admitting mostly girls and a few boys as the idea of a mixed school was not well received amongst the Indian community.

Due to growing congestion in the city near the site of the school and inadequate facilities many girls transferred to a new school in Ngara in 1962 and there was even talk of closing the school.

However, the school was convenient for the many Indian families who lived above their shops within the city centre.

Some time in the 1970s English was adopted as the language of instruction and in the 1980s the school began to accept students of other races.

The name of the school was changed to Moi Avenue Primary School in 1980 when Government Road was renamed Moi Avenue after President Moi ascended to power.

Today the school is managed by the Nairobi County and runs on the 8-4-4 curriculum for both girls and boys.

This building is considered the birthplace of modern Nairobi as it is from here that Ainsworth introduced law and order and started the planning and beautification of the town, much to the benefit of one gentleman who, nevertheless, was very capable and possessed of great foresight.

The author is a retired banker and motorcycle enthusiast. E-mail: [email protected].