There are some fascinating stories around the Jevanjee Gardens in Nairobi.

From how it came to be. To who it is named after. To how it has survived over time.

Passed by, read up a bit and thought I’d share some interesting bits.

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#DaimaGreenSpaces

It is said that John Ainsworth, a colonial administrator once asked Lord Delamere to donate some of his land in Nairobi for a public garden. Delamere allegedly threatened to burn down the Lands Office if his land was touched.

Alibhai Mulla Jevanjee stepped in and saved the day.

Jeevanjee started building the 5 acre piece of land in 1904 and donated it to Nairobi in 1906 as Victoria Gardens.

#DaimaGreenSpaces https://twitter.com/kresearcher/status/1243607206756519936

It had rose gardens, wrought iron gates & benches, and a Queen Victoria statue unveiled by her son Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. He was the first Royal visitor to the then protectorate. https://twitter.com/historyke/status/793761999603789824

The statue was meant to safeguard the place from land grabbing. Pulling down a royal statue would’ve been a pain.

It is no longer there though: Torn down, beheaded and tossed away one night in 2015.

To some it is vandalism. To others, it is what colonial memorials deserve.

5 Acres?! Land wasn’t an issue to Jeevanjee. By 1900, he was said to be the leading property owner in both Nairobi and Mombasa.

He made a fortune from contracts to:
- bring workers from India to build the railway

- to build railway stations, government offices and post offices.

He is credited with catalyzing the growth of Nairobi by supplying capital to build infrastructure in the town.

Oh yeah, he also started The African Standard in 1902, which would become the East African Standard, then The Standard we know today. https://twitter.com/kresearcher/status/936681362509193217

Before it was pulled down as well , Jeevanjee’s statue used to stand at the gardens too... Watching over Bunge La Mwananchi meetings (and occasional protesters). Which is poetic since he was vocal politically. Mobilizing the Indian Community in the struggle for equal rights.

Turns out Jeevanjee was the first non-European member of the LegCo.

He also confounded the Mombasa Indian Association and helped Establish the East African Indian National Congress.

He’s actually known as the father of South Asian politics in Kenya.

Back to the garden.

The original metallic benches are said to have been smelted to make weapons in World War Two.

One of the current benches is watched over by two figures holding a child. Apparently inspired by a woman who gave birth there as the sculptor was commencing work.

The first Nairobi Agricultural Show was held at the site.

The gardens have been at the heart of the city for over a century, sheltering residents in the shade of its magnificent trees.

In 1970, the folks chilling there inspired Gabriel Omolo’s smash hit “Lunch Time”.

But damn! A piece of land just chilled in this city, this country, with no one trying to the thing!?

Well, about that...

In 1991, Zarina Patel and her mother Shirin Najmudean set out from Mombasa to Nairobi to face Moi’s KANU regime.

It was planning to turn the gardens into parking lots, bus terminus and shopping malls.

Zarina, with the help of Wangari Maathai, the public, and the media, won.

Zarina is a marvel; an author, historian, human rights activist, environmentalist, physiotherapist, staunch feminist and socialist.

She is also Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee’s granddaughter. Her mother Shirin Najmudean was, Alibhai’s youngest child.

She ensured the gardens remained.

Zarina is a managing editor at @AwaazMagazine, one of the founding members of the Asian African Heritage Trust, Ufungamano Initiative for Constitutional Change in Kenya, and cofounder of Kenyan Asian Forum.

She also served on the task force for Truth Justice and Reconciliation.

[plug: hers was one of the stories narrated developed by @sisterhood_lam in #TEFBrazen a couple of years back]

In 2007, Bunge La Mwananchi lobbied for some new construction plans to be shelved. The fear was that they were another attempt to grab the land, though they were said to be the construction of a perimeter wall. A project under Nairobi City Council and UN Habitat’s Safer Cities.

The Jeevanjee Gardens live on to serve anyone who finds themselves in need of breathing space in Nairobi. A gift that was almost snatched away.

Folks like @DaimaGreenSpace are working to ensure they stay around for longer.

Visit the space with your chest, take a friend or two.

The gardens shouldn’t be hard to find. They are surrounded by Moi Avenue, Monrovia Street, Muindi Mbingu Street and Moktar Daddah Street.

#DaimaGreenSpaces https://goo.gl/maps/emsbjE46348sfb4Q7