New look Tom Mboya statue in Nairobi unveiled after Sh4 million renovation

The new look Tom Mboya statue in Nairobi Central Business District has finally been unveiled after two years.

Photos of the renovated statue which is located outside Kenya National Archives along Moi Avenue, were shared on social media revealing the construction works that had been going on.

The statue now sits on a truncated square pyramid that forms the base of the installation. Previously, it was mounted on a pile of rocks designed to resemble a cliff, with a water fountain that was vandalised.

The base of the new-look statue also features the Kenyan shield, which symbolizes unity and defence of freedom.

It was constructed in 2011 in memory of the slain independence politician and former Minister Tom Mboya, who was assassinated in 1969.

Mboya was shot by a lone gunman as he walked out of a chemist that was located about 20 metres from where the statue is erected.

Renovation works on the statue started in 2020 when barriers were erected to cover up the statue.

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This followed concerns by members of the public over the dilapidated state of the installation, with garbage lying around its base.

According to National Museums Director General Mzalendo Kibunjia, the facelift cost Sh4 million and was awarded to Great levels Limited.

Renovation of Tom Mboya statue in Nairobi CBD Pulse Live Kenya

“It is designed in such a way that nobody can climb all the way up to the statue like before. We have put in place mechanisms and ensured that even if they jump in, they will not be able to climb up because of the slanting polished tiles that are three metres high,” Samson Malaki, an architect and designer with the National Museums, said in a past interview.

The Nairobi National Museums of Kenya is the custodian of all monuments in the country.

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