News

Exploring complementary approach to heritage preservation in Kenya

UNESCO and the National Memory of the World Committee in Kenya convened a workshop on 29 June in Nairobi to explore the complementary approach to heritage preservation in Kenya through the UNESCO Eastern African Programme on E-Heritage. The E-Heritage Programme aims at documenting and providing access to World Heritage sites in Eastern Africa through digital technologies, and therefore supports identification of significant documentary heritage that are linked to World Heritage sites. The workshop convened various experts and members of the Kenya National Memory of the World Committee dedicated to the preservation of documentary heritage and World Heritage sites in Kenya.
Kenya National Memory of the World Committee

This workshop gave us a good road map to place Kenya on the list of the Memory of the World register and this is the start of an exciting journey.

Henry Ndung’u Chairman of the Kenya National Memory of the World Committee

Kenya hosts a rich and diverse cultural heritage, including archaeological sites, historical towns, and natural landscapes. Seven of these cultural sites have been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites namely: Lamu Old Town, Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests, Fort Jesus Mombasa, Mt. Kenya Forests, Lake Turkana National Parks, Kenya lake system in the Great Rift Valley and Thimlich Ohinga Archaeological Site. These sites possess not only tangible heritage but also intangible cultural heritage and documentary heritage that contribute to their overall significance in their surrounding societies.

Members in discussion about the way forward for the preservation, digitization and public access of cultural heritage in Africa.

The workshop brought together memory institutions in Kenya, including the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Services, the National Museums of Kenya, the Multimedia University, Kenyatta University, the National Library Services, the Kenya Railways Corporation as well as the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO. Expert on E-Heritage, Andrew Henderson, also participated and made an in-depth presentation on the International Memory of the World Register which was established to raise awareness on the documentary heritage of world significance. Members agreed to convene for a second meeting to further discuss and decide on the best documentary heritage materials to deliver for nominations to the International Register. UNESCO also committed to support efforts towards the process to increase inscriptions of documentary heritage from Africa on the global list.  

Members listen attentively during the presentations.

We should employ the power of storytelling through the use of documentary heritage, and this can best be done on the digital space. The digital space has the tools that can enable us create awareness on not only the world heritage sites but the documentary heritage as well.

Judy OganaNational Programme Officer for Culture at the UNESCO Multi Sectoral Regional Office for Eastern Africa 

Currently, only 19 countries in Africa have established a National Memory of the World Committee. In Eastern Africa, only five countries have a National Committee, and only eight documentary heritage are inscribed on the International Register for Memory of the World, of which none of them is from Kenya. 

Documentary heritage linked to the World Heritage and other sites in Kenya is yet to be explored and must be preserved and made accessible due to their essential role in the interpretation of the sites as well as their daily management, thus contributing to the overall significance of the heritage sites.  

Ms. Misako Ito, UNESCO Regional Advisor for Communication and Information in Africa