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Almost all businesses at the ‘Nova’ building in Kiambu town have failed.
The most famous was the Nova Park, a bar and restaurant whose name was changed to Red Nova. But what was once one of the biggest entertainment spots in Kiambu still folded.
It is alleged that the grounds on where Red Nova stood was once home to a mass grave and hence the failure of businesses linked to ‘dead spirits’.
Speaking to The Nairobian, Grace Waruguru, 92, says, “The mass graves existed in that piece of land. It is not rumours and many people were buried there during the struggle for independence. My father was buried there.”
According to the residents, the building was renovated when the Red Nova Hotel closed down and now serves as the office of the Kiambu County Government.
‘Cucu’ Waruguru recalls that her father was hit by a car in Banana (town) and buried at Nova Park: “Whenever I pass there I recall those moments of grief. I can even identify where we buried him, so many other people were buried in that area as the mass grave extended all the way to the stream on the lower side of the building.”
Red Nova Hotel was the last business that set up there. Its clientele were the middle class of Kiambu where they enjoyed the best mugithi and nyama choma. Students from Kiambu and Kanunga High Schools also had their night outs at Red Nova whose revival has cost several investors their fortunes.
Jimmy, a businessman, says, “I was one of the pioneers of The Red Nova Hotel. In fact, I gave it the word ‘Red’ previously it was known as Nova Park Hotel. My friends and I contributed 900,000 and the business was booming but I walked out of the partnership to pursue my dreams. After sometime, the business collapsed but I don’t think it had anything to do with the spirits or the mass graves though it’s true I heard rumours there were mass graves during the colonial era.”
Dominic Muchemi, an architect who serves as the Director of Housing in the County government of Kiambu, says, “The building was a property of the municipal council and had been leased to a private tenant who paved way for renovations to provide space for the various county department offices.”
Samuel Wanjiru, a resident, recalls dancing to mugithi of Mike Rua and the late Salim Junior before Mr and Miss Kiambu serving as the last major event at Red Nova in 2012.
