Residents urged to visit historical sites

Bondo, 18, May, Thursday,

KNA 2023 by Anita Georgeous

Siaya County residents have been encouraged to visit Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum and Museum instead of shying away from the facility that has rich information on Luo cultural heritage.

Museum caretaker Mathew Otieno expressed fears that, the local community not taken advantage of the facility to enrich their knowledge adding that most visitors touring the facility come from other counties outside Nyanza region.

Otieno said that the visit by locals from Siaya could be beneficial to the improvement of the facility as they would add relevant yet crucial missing information to better the museum.

Speaking during an interview with Kenya News Agency the museum caretaker, he disclosed that the estimated number of visitors who come to the museum is between 100 to 200 people and the number increases tremendously during holidays such as Christmas and Easter seasons.

Otieno further revealed that the facility receives students from the surrounding Busia and Kisumu counties and as far as Nairobi but the numbers have slightly gone down because the schools were recently opened although he expects the visits to pick up in the middle of the term once schools have settled.

"Mausoleum is one of the learning areas in the current CBC syllabus and there is rich history concerning African leaders, traditions and culture at the museum," He said

He stated the museum gives the students opportunity to learn about the colonial governors who were in power before Kenya gained independence, Kenya political heroes who passed away like Tom Mboya and cultural heroes Gor Mahia, Luanda Magere , Onyango Randar and  Ogutu "Wuod " Kipapi among other things.

The museum caretaker who spoke against the backdrop of International Museum day which is observed globally on the 18th May, on the other hand asked the Ministry of sports culture and heritage to help in creating of awareness about museums in the country and also sensitize locals to visit the museums for purposes of cultural heritage.

Otieno commended the government for providing funds for renovation and operations that has made it possible to run the museum smoothly.

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum was gazetted by the national government in 2005.

Courtesy; K.N.A