Nairobi’s oldest library has closed temporarily as restoration works get underway, with Nairobi City County and Book Bunk Trust working to preserve the historic landmark and transform it into a modern public knowledge and cultural hub.

Nairobi’s historic McMillan Memorial Library has entered a major new phase of restoration, with the iconic facility temporarily closed as urgent repair works begin. The development marks a significant step in efforts to preserve one of the city’s most important heritage landmarks while reimagining it as a modern, inclusive public space for learning, culture and community engagement.

The restoration is being undertaken in partnership with Nairobi City County and Book Bunk Trust. Governor Johnson Sakaja says the first phase is focusing on some of the building’s most urgent needs, including roof repairs, external drainage and electrical works, aimed at protecting the historic structure from water damage and flooding.

“McMillan is more than a building; it is part of Nairobi’s history and identity. Our responsibility is to preserve that heritage while giving it a new life that serves the people of Nairobi today and for generations to come,” Sakaja said.

The project comes as Governor Sakaja’s administration continues to place greater emphasis on the revival of Nairobi’s public spaces and social infrastructure, including libraries. The restoration of McMillan forms part of broader efforts to ensure that the capital’s historic public institutions are preserved while being made more accessible and useful to present and future generations.

“We are not simply repairing an old library. We are restoring a place of knowledge, culture and opportunity and giving McMillan a new life that serves the people of Nairobi for generations to come,” he said.

McMillan Memorial Library, opened in 1931, is Nairobi’s oldest library and one of the city’s most significant heritage landmarks. The facility was initially restricted to Europeans before being opened to the general public in the lead-up to Independence in 1962. It is also protected under the McMillan Memorial Library Act, underscoring its architectural, historical and national heritage significance.

The transformation is expected to go beyond repairing the historic building. The vision is to create a library that serves as a civic and cultural hub, providing access to knowledge, heritage collections, arts and community programmes. Its archives are particularly significant, containing valuable material documenting Kenya’s colonial and post-colonial history, while restoration efforts also seek to protect and preserve vulnerable collections.

“A modern city must invest not only in roads and buildings, but also in spaces where people can read, learn, create and exchange ideas. That is the Nairobi we are building,” Sakaja said.

For Nairobi, the restoration represents more than the rehabilitation of an old building. It offers an opportunity to reclaim a historic space and make it relevant to a new generation turning McMillan from a symbol of a divided past into a shared public institution for knowledge, culture, creativity and learning.