WIGOT GARDENS HOTEL HIGH ATOP KAJULU HILL OFFERS FABULOUS VIEW OF LAKE & KISUMU

Panoramic view of Kisumu from new boutique hotel

The terrace and garden at Wigot Hotel. The hotel has a good view of the city. Photo/MARGARETTA wa GACHERU 

By MARGARETTA WA GACHERU

Posted  Thursday, May 8   2014 at  16:44

In Summary

• The Wigot Gardens boutique hotel sits on one of the hills in Kisumu, offering guests an unobstructed view of the city

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Atop the highest peak of Kajulu Hills is Wigot Gardens Hotel. Wigot literally means ‘from the top of the hill’ in Dhuluo and it’s an area of Mambo Leo in Kisumu that has recently been recognised as having some of the most desirable properties in town.

Kajulu Hills is the name locals gave to that end of the Nandi Hills.

This is one of Kisumu’s newest boutique hotels having opened its doors on October 2013 and its quickly becoming among the most appreciated parts of Kisumu County.

It’s the view!

The Wigot Gardens’ has got a spectacular view on the terrain around Lake Victoria and beyond. From the front entrance of the Hotel, one can easily see beyond Kisumu’s city centre, out onto the lake.

Towards the north are the Nandi Hills and on the northwest, you will see the lush green sugar belt district.

In fact, one can take a 360 degree turn and get a panoramic view. It reminds one of any number of picturesque capital cities in the world that also sit atop a high hill.

The only obstruction to the view is the five story construction that will transform Wigot Gardens from being a boutique hotel with just ten rooms, three of which are deluxe, into a 34 roomed hotel with a high-rise building that will further enable guests to get a better view of the county and Lake.

Wigot Gardens boasts a homey atmosphere with friendly staff. The room service is also quick and accommodating.

If one calls ahead to let the hotel know your time of arrival, transport straight to the hotel can be provided, a good thing is given the current road construction that is under way in the town.

In fact, the timing of Wigot Gardens’ opening and concurrent expansion, including its own outdoor swimming pool, could hardly be more fortuitous, given the degree of growth currently taking place in Kisumu, from its international airport to the railway and the roads that are sure to enhance trade and tourism in the region.

There is even talk of developing a boating services between Kisumu and Entebbe, a move that would increase the demand for accommodation.

A standard room at Wigot goes for Sh4,000 a night while a deluxe room, which comes with its own spacious sitting room and full bath, is Sh6,500 and the deluxe room. The water in the hotel is solar heated and each room comes with a flat screen TV and free Wi-Fi.

What also makes Wigot Gardens special is that the homey atmosphere. It’s largely due to the fact that the hotel’s owner, Mrs Mary Claire Kidenda, grew up on the five acre compound and also raised her family here up until her children were big and her husband got a better job in Nairobi.

Despite her having a successful dairy farm and butchery in Kisumu, Mrs Kidenda also moved to Nairobi where she now teaches at the Technical University of Kenya and is pursuing a doctorate at the University of Nairobi in the Department of Architecture and Design.
It was during her move she decided to transform her family home into a boutique hotel with a remarkable view.

But when she realised her cosy accommodation wouldn’t meet the growing demand for guest rooms, she decided to add on another wing, which is nearly complete.

The new side will have 24 rooms, a restaurant, bar and an additional conference hall. Seven of the rooms will be suites with a complete lounge and sitting area as well as a kitchenette.

“We have been fortunate to attract a number of conferences and capacity-building workshops since we opened,” said Wigot’s Operations Manager Joshua Agango.

“We’ve had both international and local clients who like our being away from the allure of the town,” he added.

Mrs Kidenda, who was a scientist before she got interested in fine art and design, is keenly aware that Kenyans may be more cosmopolitan by the day, “but we are losing our indigenous culture,” she said in a phone interview with BDLife.

She plans to construct a cultural village on the hill below the hotel to help preserve the local culture.

“We’ll feature traditional architecture and artifacts as well as other aspects of Kenyan history,” said Mrs Kidenda who wants to include every community in the country.

“It will be a challenge, but we owe it to our children since they need to know about their culture and their history.”