NAIROBI: 12th NOVEMBER, 2023
Governor Sakaja yesterday graced a fundraising dinner by BookBunk at the Macmillan Library in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
The library, which is one of the libraries under refurbishment by Book Bunk was today a spectacular site of knowledge production, shared experiences, cultural leadership and information exchange. Book Bunk is an organization working to restore some of Nairobi’s most iconic public libraries into sites of heritage, public art, collective memory, knowledge production, shared experiences, cultural leadership and information exchange.
Said Governor Sakaja “Over the years, Nairobi’s talent and creativity has never ceased to amaze me. That’s why I’m confident that we’re poised for takeoff, we really are ready to become the arts and creative industries Centre for this part of the world. That’s one reason why I’m so glad to see so many of you here today. I can see you’re ready to meet the moment.
“A library isn’t just a bunch of books. When we build one, we show that knowledge and history matter. We show that we’re willing to preserve and transmit what we know to those who come after us. And the actual building shows that we’re willing to pay a price for that transmission. Building a library here, now, today, shows that we care enough about the stories of our people, the narratives that make Nairobi and the future of this city to build a place where they can meet. That’s why we’re here today to bring our past, our present, and our future together” he said.
Said Sakaja “ With the rapid growth in technology the world is changing, quiet reading spaces such as libraries are slowly fading away, there are phones and distractions now. And even when you have a quiet minute, it’s hard to find a space in which to spend it. The effects show up in our children’s mental health higher rates of depression, difficulties concentrating whether in school or at home, behavioral problems. One small step to weaning our children and not just our children, of course away from the phones, the screen, from the constant distraction they have to endure these days, is simply to build more libraries and to make it easier for them to come into a reading room and lost themselves in a book”.
“Libraries open our minds and bring us together. It can’t have escaped you that Nairobi is a real melting pot we have people from every part of the country and from every part of the world. Libraries do an introduce us to each other. We can read the history of places we have never been, we can hear the voices of the very ancient past and we can learn how other people live.”
The Governor said his Administration will commit to continue working with Book Bunk and other partners to revive, rehabilitate and construct libraries and reading spaces in the county. “We are working to ensure there is a library in every sub-county and also have mobile libraries in the near future.” He said.
The Governor was accompanied by County Executive for Talent Skills Development and Care Rosemary Kariuki.
Book Bunk’s mission is creating inclusive and accessible library spaces for Nairobi residents.
ENDS/..