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Development of Conservation Facilities In The Kenya
National Archives And Documentation Services: A
Case Study
Introduction
Musila Musembi 1
The Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service generally provides an
efficient service. An evaluation of records and archives services in English-speaking
African countries which was made by Mr Peter C. Mazikana for the International
Council on Archives and UNESCO in 1992 placed the Kenyan service second to that
of Zimbabwe. The then National Archives of South Africa was not included in the
study for obvious reasons. Mr Neil McCallum of the International Records
Management Trust has recently observed that ‘Kenya has a National Archives and
Documentation Service to be proud of’ 2 .
And in his letter addressed to the Minister responsible for archives service in Kenya,
Timothy H. Parson, an Assistant Professor of History at Washington University in the
U.S.A has, in August 1998, observed that:-
‘During my academic career I have had the opportunity to conduct
research in a wide variety of archives throughout Africa, Europe and
North America, and can say without exaggeration that the Kenya
National Archives is the best run institution I have ever worked in’ 3
There has been many other pleasant remarks by our users about the quality of archives
services in Kenya. It would, however, appear as if the authors of these remarks were
not aware of one sector within the archives service which is not equally outstanding in
1
Mr Musila Musembi is the Director of Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service. He
holds a BA (Hons) degree and Post Graduate Diploma in Archival Studies from the University of
Ghana (Legon). He has been working in the above Department since 1975. He is a former Chairman of
the Association of Commonwealth Archivists and Records Managers; and the current Secretary of the
IFFLA/ICA Joint Committee on Preservation in Africa since 1996.
Mr Musembi is the author of Archives Management: the Kenya Experience (1985). He has contributed
chapters and articles in publications and journals including a chapter in Legal Records in the
Commonwealth (1994), and co-edited Proceedings of the Pan African Conference on the Preservation
and Conservation of Library and Archival Materials (1995). In this case study, the word conservation
is loosely used to include the totality of processes and operations involved in restoration/repair of
damaged or deteriorated documents.
2 Letter dated 4th March, 1998 from Mr Neil McCallum, IRMT Country Projects Director addressed to
Mr Wa Muricho, Deputy Director, Directorate of Personnel Management, Kenya.
3 Letter from Timothy H. Parsons, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History, Washington University dated
20th August, 1998 addressed to the Minister responsible for Kenya National Archives and
Documentation Service.
CASE STUDIES 13: MUSEMBI
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