The World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) has formally designated Nyeri County as the official global scouting city of the world.
Similarly, the Paxtu Museum—a four-roomed cottage at the Outspan Hotel in Nyeri, which was the last home of the founder of the World Scouting Movement, Lord Baden Powell—has also been designated as the world’s Girl Guides and Scouts Heritage site.
The announcement was made Monday, during a ceremony held at the Lord Baden Powell gardens, where the declaration elevating the county to the new global status was signed by the county government of Nyeri and officials from the movement’s governing body, the World Scout Committee. During the event, the county was also issued with honorary plaques to commemorate the elevation to its new status.
Speaking after the function, Nyeri Governor Dr. Mutahi Kahiga welcomed the new development, stating that the recognition will place the county on the international map.
Kahiga said that through the declaration, the county government will now work closely with the scouting bodies both locally and internationally to develop the scouting movement, which boasts over 70 million members worldwide.
“This is a dream come true, considering the uniqueness of this place in that it is the final resting place of Lord Baden Powell and his wife, Lady Olave Powell, who began the scouting movement. As a county government, we are very excited that we have been able to sign this pact between ourselves, the Girl Guide Movement, and the World Scouting Movement to ensure that we develop scouting to higher levels,” stated the governor.
On his part, the chairman of the World Scout Committee, Daniel Corsen, said the designation was done as a way of honouring the founders of the scouting movement.
Corsen said also the elevation of Nyeri to the global scouting city of the world was one of WOSM’s ways of acknowledging Kenya’s contribution to the furtherance of scouting in the world.
“We are here to not only honour the legacy of the founders of the scouting movement and their final resting place but also to honour the county of Nyeri. Kenya is an important member of the World Scout Movement with over 4 million members. Our presence here also shows the commitment that Kenya has in honouring the past and its commitment towards the future of scouting,” he stated.
Nyeri hosts the Paxtu Museum and Lord Baden Powell Gardens, which is the final resting place of the founders of the world scouting movement. These two sites are considered to be critical in the scouting movement, so much so that as a way of paying homage to the two founders, every year on February 22, thousands of scouts and girl guides troop to Nyeri to celebrate Founders Day.
The recognition comes barely a month after the county government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kenya Scouts Association (KSA) to collaborate in increasing the visibility of Nyeri as the Scout’s founder’s final home. The MOU is also expected to help the county unlock the tourism and business potential of the two sites, especially during the annual scouting celebrations.
According to the pact, the two parties will collaborate in refurbishing the Lord Baden-Powell Gravesite Memorial and Entertainment Park.
The two partners also agreed to work closely with the Ministry of Education, the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association, the Kenya Primary Schools Head Teachers Association, and educational institutions to support the growth of scouting membership in the county.
They also agreed to establish a Scout Brass Band for use in scouting events, county events, and national celebrations.
By Wangari Mwangi and Bacha Muigai
