How to Build A Library

Two Kenyan women transform a dilapidated, junk-filled library in downtown Nairobi into a hub for the city’s citizens and creatives.

2025 | Running Time: 1 Hour 43 minutes | Rating: NR

In 2018, Shiro (writer) and Wachuka (publisher) quit their jobs to restore a derelict colonial library in bustling downtown Nairobi. Horrified at the condition of the historical, state-owned building, they successfully lobbied city officials to take-over management of the junk-filled library. With zero experience in building, the pair find themselves with a mammoth task ahead. But with an undying passion for books, and a unique flair for glamour, instagram, and finding funds where least expected, they activate an army of homegrown artists, intellectuals, tech developers, architects and writers, all energised to transform the space into a technological hub of creativity and learning for future generations. They call it Book Bunk. While the cleanup & architectural overhaul of the neo-classical building requires a huge team and financial investment, it is the psychological rebuilding of these spaces that requires the most energy. The building serves as a vehicle to raise important questions about the history and future direction of Kenyan society. Built in 1932 by British settler Lady McMillan, to commemorate the death of her American railroad millionaire husband, the McMillian Memorial Library was built for white use only. It wasn’t until independence in the 1960’s that Africans were permitted access to the library and its collection, which has been left in neglect since, dismissed as someone else’s history. The film explores a post-colonial identity crisis as it exists for millennials in Kenya today, and shared all over the world: what do we do with this painful history? Erase, or remember? 

“A captivating tale of perseverance in the face of adversities.”

— Courtney Small, POV