By Oby Obyerodhyambo

Care to imagine for a minute the outrage that would greet an auctioneer who, in pursuit of debt repayment, seeks to put Parliament Buildings or the Kenyatta Mausoleum under the hammer? Kenyans would be lining up to demand that such a person go through a psychiatric check.

So, can you fathom the recent notice from the Nairobi City County attributed to one Lillian W Ndegwa, the Interim County Secretary, demanding rate arrears totalling Sh412,776,262 from the Kenya Cultural Centre before May 26 or auctioneers would descend on that property and sell it to recover what is owed?

For those who might not be aware, the Kenya Cultural Centre incorporates the Kenya National Theatre, which includes what was once The Kenya Conservatoire of Music.

Astronomical figure

The rate demand from the Kenya Cultural Centre is nothing new. When I served in the governing council almost seven years ago, that debt was a serious cause of concern and I recall that the then minister of Culture and Social Services, Najib Balala, promised to settle the matter at the Cabinet level. Obviously, he did not, and the debt has since grown to this astronomical figure.

I can understand Governor Evans Kidero wishing to have such a sum transferred to the county coffers. The issue is this: Who is liable to pay rates to the city council?  Is the cultural centre a private property that should pay rates?

The Kenya Cultural Centre has a history that renders it a national monument. It was first built to offer British soldiers brought to Kenya to quell the Ma Mau uprising a place to relax after killing, maiming and subduing nationalist fighters.

Later, after that mission was defeated the centre was at the heart of an epic battle to redeem Kenyan culture, a battle inextricably chained to the evolution of Kenya’s most famous literary giant, Ngugi wa Thiong’o.  This struggle has been well documented in Ngugi’s Decolonising the Mind, Writers in Politics and other writings.  Ngugi’s best known plays, Maitu Njugira (Mother Sing for Me), Ngahiika Ndeenda (I Will Marry When I Want) and The Trial of Dedan Kimathi (with Micere Mugo) has an umbilical connection to the Kenya Cultural Centre.

Iconic space

Indeed, the struggle to Africanise the cultural scene was waged in this iconic space. This same space is where Betrayal in the City by the late Francis Imbuga was first rehearsed and staged.  The same applies to many of his other works.

Other writers resident or exiled in Kenya like John Ruganda, Okot p’Bitek and Joe d’ Graft made theatre in this space.  The Burdens, The Floods, Music Without Tears and Game of Silence, all by Ruganda, were conceived and written at this centre. Muntu by d’Graft and many of Okot’s seminal essays, too.

The point I am making is that the Kenya Cultural Centre is the Mecca of Kenya’s post-colonial cultural movement. How can such a space be open to sale?  This sacred status has been immortalised in the recent celluloid sensation from Kenya, Nairobi Half Life.  The main character’s passion to come to the Kenya National Theatre is a metaphor for achieving creative freedom and success.

Recently, Kidero spoke of an agreement on a payment plan. Instead of a fee note from the governor’s office, I would suggest that he develops a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding between the county, the ministry in charge of arts and culture and the management of the cultural centre, and transform the centre into a money-minting shrine. (Imbuga’s Shrine of Tears was inspired by the same building).

At his vetting, Dr Hassion Wario, the Cabinet Secretary under whose docket culture and art fall, spoke of erecting a Hall of Fame for Kenyan athletes. I think he forgot to mention one long overdue for cultural icons, ad the Kenya Cultural Centre is where it should be.

These icons include: Tamaa bin Tamaa, Mzee Pembe, Mama Toffi, Othorong’ong’o Danger, Amka Twende, Wariahe, James Falkland, Kenneth Mason, George Menoe, Seth Adagala, Konga Mbandu, Joni Nderito, Opiyo Mumma, Wahome Mutahi, Stella Awinja Muka and Anne Wanjugu.

Touristic appeal

Imagine what touristic appeal the centre would have if we established a Ngugi wa Thiong’o Centre, complete with a curated museum of his works. Imagine how many people who worship the ground this literary icon trod would make pilgrimage to see the original toilet paper manuscripts of Detained: A Writer’s Diary, and the original handwritten manuscripts of Weep Not Child and The River Between?

There is a tradition more common in the west, where writers of Ngugi’s stature donate their works to a learning institution or museum. I would hazard that a compelling pitch by Kidero and Wario could see Ngugi consider symbolically sealing the victory to reclaim the cultural centre by making it a shrine to Kenya’s literary culture.

Francis Imbuga’s family might also be persuaded to do the same, as would Annabelle Maule — the scion of the Donovan Maule Theatre — and probably others.  Having been a curator, Wario will see that this could be expanded to include the cinematographic history of films like Out of Africa, The Constant Gardener and others.  Imagine the potential of such an attraction to local and external visitors.

In the MoU, there can be an agreement on revenue sharing. With such a venture, how long would it take to pay off the Sh412,776,263, or simply turn it into equity for the Nairobi City County and begin to rake in profits that could go to developing such centres in every county?