Kenya: Bid to renovate Soy Club which has links to Queen Elizabeth II

By Stanley Kimuge and Barnabas Bii

Perched along the Eldoret-Kitale road is the age-old Soy Club that forms part of rich history after Queen Elizabeth II, then a princess, visited Kenya on a honeymoon trip with Prince Philip.

The club, sitting on 20 acres, has stood the test of time since it was constructed in 1930. The club was frequented exclusively by white settlers who lived in the North Rift region.

From the Eldoret-Kitale road, the Soy Safari Resort is 23km north of the city and, despite its royal connections, it can easily pass as any simple country club.

For many years, the club was a pale shadow of its former glory as it exchanged hands from one owner to another. But, for the last one-and-a-half years, the club has undergone a facelift as it seeks to reclaim its lost grandeur to woo local and international tourists.

When you drive in, the rickety roof dating from the early 20th century is unlikely to impress any guest. And the club has an important but forgotten heritage that gives the county a royal connection rivalled only by Nyeri.

It is this place that hosted the Queen during her honeymoon trip to the then British colony before she visited Nyeri. In this respect, it has a similar history as Nyeri's Treetops Lodge, which hosted Princess Elizabeth in 1952 where she was declared Queen upon the death of her father King George V1. It is believed that she went back and stayed at the club having been crowned the Queen in 1959.

Workers at Soy Club tell of stories of the villa where the royals stayed and which has attracted many foreigners.

The villa, commonly known as Room 20, still stands in its original form. But, like the club's main buildings, it has undergone a facelift.

Mr Henry Mulusa, a manager at the facility, says people, including foreigners, have been trooping to the club to see and take pictures of Room 20.

"This place is a jewel. (There is) no other place like this, that is why we are turning it around while keeping it in its original state. It is rich in history that is unrivalled," he said during an interview.

Built with VIPs in mind, the verandah at the entrance is big enough to accommodate many people.

It opens into a large sitting room that has a dual-purpose store - for the VIPs' valuables or travel belongings.

The hallway, which opens into a large bedroom, has an all-purpose bathroom on one side and wardrobes on the other.

This special room holds a reception, which has now been converted into a restaurant with a fireplace and a complete bar.

“This room is spacious and the Queen preferred it because it could hold her luggage. It allowed her to make coffee and have drinks. This opened the door for other dignitaries to visit and spend time here,” said Mr Mulusa.

The building also hosts several structures that include pigeon-holed buildings that were used for sending and receiving mail bags by white settlers in the entire region and which were delivered by Africans.

He noted that the club was the epicentre for the settlers in the region due to the exceptional facilities for recreational activities ranging from golf, horse-racing to motor-racing.

It was also home to wildlife like giraffes which were later relocated to the Krugger farm in Moiben.

“It also hosted the only swimming pool between Eldoret and Kitale. We have now renovated this pool to attract fun-lovers,” said Mr Mulusa.

The oval roof is made of wooden hardwood, which was good in retaining warmth. Initially, the floor was made of wooden tiles but has since been transformed into ceramics through renovations. There’s also a conference room fitted with Wi-Fi which can accommodate over 20 people.

The newly-refurbished club has 30 rooms that have been renovated as it positions itself as a favourite spot for conferencing, food and beverages, swimmers and an open picnic for team-building.

“Our plan for the club is to meet the needs of current and future guests … we also have several cuisines,” explained Mr Mulusa.

Besides the royal ties, the club is also significant in the struggle for independence.

Political leaders allied to Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU) led by Mr Daniel arap Moi, Mr Masinde Muliro, Mr Ronald Ngala and Mr Martin Shikuku used to meet with liberal white farmers there to plan for the country’s independence.

“Our then upcoming leaders used to meet here with liberal settlers ahead of independence,” said Mr Mulusa.

This article was originally published by Daily Nation. [Photo: Nation Media Group/Stanley Kimuge]