Sharjah to help restore historic library in Nairobi

The pledge comes under the directives of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

Kenya’s Book Bunk Trust, the body established by Kenyan publisher Angela Wachuka and Kenyan writer Wanjiru Koinange, will oversee the restoration of three libraries in the city.

The announcement was made by Shaikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, vice-president of the International Publishers Association (IPA), and Head of Sharjah World Book Capital Advisory Committee, at a fundraising gala at the library.

The McMillan Memorial Library was built by the McMillan family when Kenya was under British rule to honour William Northrup McMillan, a US explorer and philanthropist who settled in Kenya. Over the years it has suffered from neglect, with book stock and fixtures in need of protection.

Upon completion, the library will become a key location for reading, information exchange and cultural events.