Once upon a dream.
George Tafaria Waititu’s family was first to settle at the Deighton Downs, a ranch which had been sold to a settlement scheme.
The land was land was subdivided and George’s mother got allocated eight acres with a desire for a better life for herself and her nine children.
George was only five years old then.
He grew up as a villager with a dream to transforming his villages into spaces of dignity, fun, progressive ideas and adventure.
There were no roads, no water and the nearest school was kilometers away in a forest with wild animals.
George wanted to improve the rural setting.
He says that for such success, one needs three things. Confidence. Consistency and having no social conformity.
Today the hotel hosts a museum and Centre for the Arts where you can visit to learn about the history, art and cultures of Kenya.
“Art is the core to all human existence. Art is powerful,” he says
The castle has transformed a rural area into a place full of fun activities, including the highest altitude outdoor gym and swimming pool in the country.
Visitors can also ride on exotic horses, drive to one of the peaks of the Aberdare or enjoy a game of archery.
George also brains behind ViuSasa, the mobile phone app that allows audiences anywhere in the world to stream or download Kenyan entertainment content.
The whole idea is to help local producers protect, distribute, promote and monetise their content.