Machakos, Kenya's undiscovered gem!

A statue of Mutisya Munge, carved in 1965 welcomes visitors to Wamunyu Handcraft Cooperative Society, situated about 40 kilometres from Machakos town on the Machakos-Kitui Road. (Photo: David Gichuru/Standard)

I, like most Kenyans, only know Machakos County for its famous park and infamous rugby tournaments.

But as I would learn on a recent trip, Machakos is more than just its park. Did you, for instance, know that Machakos town was identified as Kenya's capital in 1887 before Nairobi won the title a decade later?

Did you also know that Machakos, with all the drought puns that circulate on social media, is home to the largest fish farm in East Africa? As at the end of 2016, Kamuthanga Fish Farm harvested 100 tonnes of fish. Visits to the farm have to be pre-arranged.

Make sure to visit the 100-year-old Kamuthanga Church in Machakos that was recently declared a heritage site by the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK). It was recently renamed Joshua Muoka Memorial Church after its founder. The construction of the brick church began in 1914, but its completion was disrupted by the two world wars. Later,Muoka took charge and ensured its completion.

Machakos is also the birthplace of the Africa Inland Church (AIC) established by Peter Cameron Scott, a Scottish missionary sent from America in 1895. On my way from Kamuthanga, I made sure to stop at the renowned anti-gravity corner. This is the Kyamwilu Magic Corner. A place that defies gravity. If you try to roll down a ball, it will instead go up-hill. Strange, but true. I proved it. You might also not have heard that the locals swear that no females are born in the area. Why then, I suggest, don't they put up a couple's retreat for those keen on conceiving boys?

Machakos, as you might know, is named after Masaku wa Munyati, an Akamba chief who settled there in 1816. I arrived in the town on a Friday evening and checked into its most prominent accommodation, the Gelian Hotel. I put up in an ample deluxe suite that reminded me of Istanbul, thanks to its Turkish inspired decor. The establishment's rooftop balcony boasts incredible vistas of the town and surrounding Iveti and Kiima Kimwe hills.

Gelian is idyllic for the traveller not keen on much movement. I, however, did manage to disengage myself from its enchanting web long enough to visit Wamunyu, the home of wood carvings in the country. About 40 kilometres away on the Machakos-Kitui Road is the Wamunyu Handcraft Cooperative Society, where you will find all sorts of mementos to carry back.

A statue of Mutisya Munge, carved in 1965 when the society was registered, welcomes guests at the entrance. It is Mutisya who is credited for introducing the skill in 1918 having learnt it from the Makonde people of Tanganyika (present day Tanzania) while working as an askari in the King's African Rifles (KAR).

He is said to have begun working on trinkets while perched up high on a tree before later teaching the craft to his sons -and inadvertently the community, when the demand for his pieces overwhelmed him. He died in 1929 and was buried at his home in Wamunyu. Wamunyu, I soon learn, means  ' place of salt' in Kamba language.

Japheth Mutunga Munyao, the society's secretary general, says that items sold at the workshop are of the finest possible standard because they undergo quality checks and are given time to cure. It was also a great honour to chance on 87-year-old Francis Mutiso expertly working on a carving. His obvious finesse could be seen in the way he handled his tools.