The death of renowned environmentalist and collector Alan Donovan last week came as a shock to many lovers of antiquities given his spirited fight for the restoration of the land on which the Africa Heritage House stands on Mlolongo in Machakos county.
The 200 acres of land, which are adjacent to the facility, and which had been earmarked for heritage and cultural purposes, in addition to offering better access to the building were not only invaded by squatters but also grabbed by private developers.
Reports indicated that Donovan tried to reach out to authorities to have the allocation revoked to no avail, posing an existential threat to the four-storeyed building with architectural design inspired by ancient works in Morocco, Yemen, Burkina Faso, Madagascar and Ghana. It took him four years to complete the project.
According to reports, the turreted façade was inspired by mud walls of mosques in Mali and has over 6,000 items including weavings, sculptures and paintings.
Donovan moved the African Heritage House to its present location after he sold the original one based on Libra House and other branches including the one that was next to the City Marked on Muindi Mbingu and Street.
Following his sudden demise, the spotlight shifted to Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, who was accused on social media platforms of allegedly seeking to grab the land from the conservationist, claims he has since strongly denied.
Instead, Dr Mutua explained that his was to help Donovan put up a gate so that tourists could directly access the Nairobi National Park from the vast property so as to save on time and offer them convenience.
Acting Chief Officer, Tourism, Youth, Sports and Culture Mwalakha Muniafu said Donovan had approached them through a mutual friend when the squatters constructed an entire slum on his property.
He said the county government was still in the process of securing the land and building the gate, in conjunction with the Kenya Wildlife Service, National Museums of Kenya, National Land Commission and other stakeholders.
Donovan’s Manager Tom Otieno also acknowledged that Mutua was assisting them secure the property.
“The stories appearing on social media about the governor grabbing the land has no foundation and should be ignored,” he said.
“Donovan folded up the original facility after first being bankrupt and later insolvent after travel alerts by Europe and American governments against their citizens travelling to Kenya for violent extremism threats,” said Otieno.
Muniafu said it is unfortunate indeed that Donovan passed away while they were still pursuing the matter.
