African Heritage House Founder Alan Donovan Dies in Kenya

African Heritage House founder Alan Donovan has passed away aged 83.

Donovan, an American national, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Athi River, Machakos County on Sunday morning, according to African Heritage Estate management.

The deceased designed and built the iconic African Heritage House which overlooks the Nairobi National Park.

Built in 1989, the structure is a combination of mud architectures from across Africa and houses more than 6,000 rare and precious items collected over half a century.  The house sits on 7.7 acres on the edge of the park and is described as Africa’s most photographed house.

The African Heritage House, which was declared a national monument in 2016, was the first house in Africa to be featured in the prestigious US Architectural Digest in November 1996.

Donovan arrived in Kenya as a young man in the company of other explorers with the intention of experiencing the country and not settling down.

He changed his mind and decided to settle in Kenya after a visit to Turkana, a place of rich culture. He started collecting some artifacts and came up with the idea of establishing the African Heritage House.

In 1970, he held his first exhibition of art and material culture from the Turkana and other peoples of Northern Kenya before meeting Kenya’s second vice president Joseph Murumbi, who was a private collector. Together with Murumbi’s wife Sheila, they opened African Heritage House—the first Pan African gallery on the African continent in 1972. 

Earlier this year, the African Heritage House was put up for sale for a fee reported to be in the region of $3 million.

“I am too old now and need to find someone who will look after the priceless items. I may go to another house in the vicinity and continue with my Pan Africa studies,” Donovan told The Standard in May.

“The sale should not affect the national status of the house as long as the new owner does not make alterations in the design and will follow in my footsteps and my co-founders, former Vice President Joseph Murumbi and his wife Sheila, in preserving, protecting, and promoting African heritage.”