The Papal Dias at the University of Nairobi is among the sites that have been declared national monuments.
In a gazette notice on Friday, April 30, Sports and Culture CS Amina Mohammed announced the site was found to have historical value and would be protected.
The dias was used during the Pope's 2015 visit to the country addressing thousands of Christians that had gatherered at the UoN Sports grounds.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 25 (1) (d) of the National Museums and Heritage Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture, and Heritage declares the building specified in the Schedule, which she considers being of historical interest, to be a monument within the martial; of the Act," the CS noted.
Also declared as national monuments were the Granary of Kikuyu Ethnic Group situated within Thuti Sub-location, Othaya Township Location, Nyeri County, and the 16th Century Ngomeni Shipwreck which is underwater in Ngomeni Bay, Ngomeni Village in Gongoni Ward, Kilifi County.
The shipwreck was discovered to have been of Portuguese origin by researchers at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) in 2015.
The ship was approximated to have made its last ill-fated journey in the Indian Ocean waters about 500 years ago, making it the oldest shipwreck in Kenya.
The A.C.K. Kamathanga church within Chaani Sub-location, Mua Hill Location, Machakos Town Constituency in Machakos County was also bestowed upon the honour reserved to historical buildings.
The popular House of Commons situated in Sheila Ward along Vasco da Gama Road on the seas front, on plot No. 1144, Malindi Town, Kilifi County was also declared a national monument together with the House of Habib Swaleh Bin Alwi Jama Al-Layl Riyadha/Langoni in Lamu Town, Lamu County.
"Any objection to the declaration shall be lodged with the Cabinet Secretary within 60 days from the publication of this notice," CS Amina directed.
The mandate of the gazettement of important sites falls under the Directorate of Antiquities, Sites and Monuments (DASM)
The functions of DASM also include the identification and legal protection of all sites and monuments of national significance.
The scope of this function encompasses 23 museums, over 370 gazetted sites and monuments, and 7 World Heritage Sites, distributed across Kenya’s 47 counties.
As of 2018, there were 375 gazetted sites in Kenya.
