Join Us in Preserving a Legacy

McMillan Memorial Library belongs to all of us, a living space of knowledge, culture, and community. Together, we can restore it, protect its heritage, and ensure it thrives for generations to come.

For nearly a century, McMillan Memorial Library has stood at the heart of Nairobi, quietly witnessing the city’s transformation. Once a colonial institution, it now belongs to the public, but years of neglect have left its walls and collections in urgent need of repair. Preserving and reimagining this space matters now more than ever, as it anchors our past while shaping an inclusive cultural future.

History Highlights

  • Opened in 1931, built by Lady Lucy McMillan in memory of her husband, Sir Northrup McMillan.
  • Northrup McMillan was an American-born Briton who settled in Kenya in 1904 during a hunting expedition. After his death, Lady McMillan remained in Kenya until her passing in 1957.
  • Protected by law: the only building in Kenya covered by its own Act of Parliament (The McMillan Memorial Library Act Cap 217 of 1938, revised in 2012).
  • Access restrictions: Restricted to segregated use by European settlers until 1958 , when it was bequeathed to Nairobi City Council and opened to the general public ahead of Independence.
  • Expansion: branches later opened in Waithaka, Kayole, Makadara, and Kaloleni, of which only Makadara and Kaloleni remain open today (both renovated by Book Bunk).

Cultural Significance

  • Nairobi’s oldest and Kenya’s second-oldest library, anchoring the city’s literary and architectural heritage.
  • A symbol of Nairobi’s cultural evolution, from colonial exclusivity to public ownership.
  • A landmark of national memory, preserving a rare and historic book collection.
  • Continues to serve as a knowledge hub for students and the wider public, despite urgent restoration needs.
  • Functions as a space for culture and dialogue, hosting events, conversations, and programmes that connect communities.
  • Endures as a beacon of culture and learning, representing resilience in a rapidly changing city.

Why Resoration Matters

  • Heritage is preserved: The building remains structurally sound for at least another 100 years, safeguarding Nairobi’s oldest library for future generations.
  • Access is inclusive: All members of the public: children, young adults, adults, and differently-abled users, can fully engage with and benefit from the library’s programmes, spaces, and services.
  • Safety is guaranteed: Modern systems will make the library safe to use, with facilities that protect health, wellbeing, and effective evacuation in emergencies.
  • Sustainability is prioritised: Energy-efficient design will reduce the library’s carbon footprint and operational costs.
  • Vibrancy is renewed: The restored library will host lectures, exhibitions, and community events, generate its own income, and sustain not only itself but also its branch libraries.

Funding Required

Book Bunk is currently working to raise a total of $7.6M for the complete restoration of the library. This extensive, multiphase project will be delivered in the following phases:

  • Roof Works: Presently most of the damage this building suffers is as a result of water. Repairing the roof first allows us to stabilise the building thereby arresting any further damage to the building
  • External Drainage: This phase will fully underground drainage issues; Install the external toilet block and other facilities for sanitation.
  • Power & Electricals: This phase will engage with local authorities and the national power company to ensure that the library has an independent and dedicated connection to the grid, while ensuring the installation of solar energy.
  • Basement & Collection Care: This phase of work seeks to safeguard the libraries collections by creating a suitable condition for their storage and management within the basement. It will also revitalise the librarians offices and staff meeting spaces.
  • Interiors: This phase begins to address the more user facing features of the library such as furniture, technology, lighting, acoustics, landscaping and more.
  • Safety and Accessibility features: This phase will tackle the introduction of the features that allow the building to be safer and accessible to all. These include the installation of an elevator, fire escape and fire exit, terraces to increase the capacity, external gazebos and playgrounds.
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