By JOSEPH KARIMI

KENYA: Memories of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Kenya in 1952 live on. But perphaps they are more vivid for one man from Laikipia County who had a hand in the historic event.

Nanyuki businessman Solomon Wachira Gichuhi relives the momentous experience. He was the proud owner of the special antique, a small vintage chase Land Rover which carried Princess Elizabeth on the morning of February 5 1952 from Sagana Royal Lodge through Kiganjo Police College to King’ong’o.  The Land Rover then proceeded down the Nyahururu road past Muringato Forest Station to Kimathi University and up to a junction leading to the Treetops Hotel.

The royal couple disembarked to be welcomed to the Polo Club which stood on the immediate right at the junction of the Treetops Hotel in Nyeri.

The Land Rover bearing OHMS registration was a special ceremonial vehicle that ferried the Governor, who was Commander-in-Chief during official occasions. “It had a chrome bumper and was a special car with nobs and accessories adding to its special status. One rail on the dashboard was a convenient bottle opener,” said its first civilian owner Mr Christopher Nderi.

Nderi bought the vehicle in 1978 after it was displayed at Nakuru military barracks for sale. “I must have paid slightly more than Sh1,000 for it. I was then the OCPD for  Nyandarua District,” says Nderi. He sold it to Mr Wachira later on.

After ferrying the Princess and the Duke of Edinburgh, the vehicle was taken to Kahawa Engineers Garrison where it was kept. It was later taken to Nakuru to be disposed of.

Queen’s visit

Queen Elizabeth (then Princess Elizabeth) the eldest daughter of King George VI, used the vintage Rover when she and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh visited Kenya while on a tour of

Commonwealth countries that was to take them through Ceylon and Australia.

The Princess had married Philip Mountbatten, a British naval lieutenant and member of the Greek royal family on  November 20, 1947. They were on their honeymoon.

The main purpose of their coming to Kenya was to tour the country and receive a precious wedding present which was a African Hunting Lodge, named the Royal Lodge (today’s Sagana State Lodge) built on a plot overlooking the Sagana River, on the lower foothills of Mount Kenya.

Early Sunday morning on February 4, the Princess and the Duke left Nairobi for their 100 mile journey to Nyeri and the Royal Lodge on the slopes of Mt. Kenya. Their car, a black convertible Humber Pullman which was an 8-seater,  spacious limousine, ferried the couple over dusty roads and between beautiful hills, with massive banana plants along the way.

Wedding present

The night before, the couple had received nearly 100 leaders of the colony’s settler community. The highlight of this occasion was the presentation of the Royal Couple’s wedding present in the form of the key to the Royal Lodge and the title deeds for the plot on which the lodge stood. The Governor, Sir Mitchell, had exercised the royal prerogative to enable the land laws to be set aside in order to grant a title in perpetuity to the couple.

The Speaker of the Kenya Legislative Council  Mr W.K Horne presented the Princess and the Duke with the key to the hunting lodge at Nyeri and the title deed for the plot, which was given to them  by the colony as a wedding present and in which they were to spend a short holiday while in Kenya. The Royal Lodge was to become the couple’s Kenyan home.

The Royal couple was welcomed on arrival at the lodge by the Governor Philip Mitchell. The Princess reached for the key she had been presented at the Government House and started opening the door.

She experienced some difficulty and the Governor had to come to her assistance. But all was well and the door was opened for the Royal couple to have a well-earned rest.

After unlocking the door and going in, the Princess came out with the Governor and spent 25 minutes walking round the gardens, first along a terraced lawn outside the lodge and then down a steep winding path across a bank planted with irises, Shasta daises, and flowering shrubs, to a green lawn by a trout stream. The Princess without doubt seemed delighted.

From princess to queen

The following day, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended Divine Service at the Naromoru Church before proceeding to Nyeri to meet thousands of school children lining up the route from King’ong’o to Muringato.

They drove aboard the ceremonial land rover to the Polo Club where Prince Philip played two polo games before proceeding to Treetops for the night.

Sadly, Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, died that night in his sleep at Sundringham. The Princess ascended to the throne while at Treetops.

She had climbed a ladder into the tree house as a Princess but descended the following morning of February 6 as a Queen!

 Their tour was halted and the Princess had to fly back to England immediately.