From the Rooftop bar of the Gelian Hotel in Machakos town, watching the sun go down on the Mua Hills is a spectacular event.

The dimming sun rays cast a golden shadow on the walls of the eight – storey Hotel as the daylights faint and night noises begin to creep in accompanied by the chill from the surrounding mountains.

It’s a spectacular sight to behold! The Gelian rooftop bar is perhaps the highest point in the town where you can watch the vivacious town go to sleep with street lights punctuating the way all the way to Nairobi City.

On a traffic – free day, Machakos is about a 45 – minutes drive from the City but the difference in setting, away from the hustles and bustles of the capital city, is simply stunning.

There is a tinge of village setting as the lull of the night engulfs the vicinity. You can see the lights at the People’s Park and far away in Mlolongo but the ambience of the Machakos City is really in the surrounding mountains.

Iveti Hills, Kiima Kimwe and Mua Hills surround Machakos town like a fortified city, perhaps the reason why the founders of the town chose the position as it was safe – tucked away from the enemy.

The hot air in the streets of Machakos gives way to a cool breeze from the mountains once you ascend to the Gelian rooftop. 

Here you can hear the din of the cricket chirruping in the distance as the night traffic thins away but there are lights up in the mountains indicating the advance of modernity.

Electricity has reached the mountains once only visible by the flicker of the embers at the fireplace after dusk.

At another time in the past, those mountains would be echoing the drums of Kilumi dance-the spiritual Akamba traditional dance. 

Masaku’s original home is a few kilometres away from the present town in the direction of Iveti Hills. Indeed the name Masaku is still common among the locals in reference to the town now known as  Machakos. 

But the old is dying, replaced with the ultra – modern ‘skyscrapers’ in the mould of the Gelian Hotel. The contrast is evident as other buildings  nearby are dwarfed by the height of the GelianHotel. 

Here, in the carefree ambience of a peri-urban setting, you can bathe in a jacuzzi and swim in a first floor swimming pool for prizes not comparable to the Capital city.

Conference facilities, Health SPA and a State-of-the-Art gym are some of the attractions in the hotel. 

There is also a modern coffee café where you can sample the tastiest cappuccinos brewed by experienced barristers. An interaction with the staff reveals that they come from almost all parts of Kenya having been carefully selected due to their professional qualifications. 

The hotel has helped to address the problem of accommodation. Categorically it offers luxurious Superior, Deluxe, Ambassadorial, Presidential and Honeymoon rooms. The cost of the suites range from Sh9,000 to Sh35,000 per night.

Gelian Hotel has since opened a sister Hotel, Semara Hotels.