Until you reach your final destination in Nairobi, your journey is considered incomplete. Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, holds a significant point known as “point zero,” marking the starting point of all distances measured from this location.
Situated at the intersection of Koinange Street and Kenyatta Avenue, point zero is where Lionel Galton Fenzi placed a stone before embarking on his inaugural road trip to Mombasa in 1926. This military stone, also known as the Nairobi monument, holds historical importance and was dedicated to Galton-Fenzi, who founded the Nairobi branch of the Royal East Africa Automobile Association in 1919. Today, this association is known as the Automobile Association of Kenya, offering various driving-related services such as lessons, insurance, and training.
To honor Galton-Fenzi’s accomplishment of being the first person to drive from Nairobi to Mombasa, the monument was erected in 1939, following his passing in 1937. Regrettably, many residents of Nairobi are unaware of the stone’s historic significance. Some locals, driven by religious beliefs, mistakenly associate it with satanic symbols and avoid discussing the topic altogether.
On your next visit to Nairobi, take a moment to observe the refurbished city stone, recently renovated by the Nairobi County Government. Although the original stone placed by Galton Fenzi now resides in the Nairobi Gallery, the government relocated the monument to its current position to accommodate the Nairobi Gallery Museum. This location served as the reference point for measuring distances across East Africa.
