managing public sector records: a study programme - International ...

terms of its competence and quality of service offered. That sector is the conservation
workshop and other related facilities. It is not well developed despite efforts made by
successive directors of the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service to
improve it.
The development of a conservation workshop and other related facilities in a ‘Third
World’ country is certainly full of pitfalls. In many cases, the equipment and
materials needed for the workshop are not easily available. Most of them have to be
imported. However, experience has shown that this is easily said than done. And
then there is the question of inadequate funding. Equally important, training in
conservation is not locally available in Kenya, as indeed in most African countries. In
addition to these challenges, the Kenya National Archives and Documentation service
has continued to face another problem - inadequate space for the conservation
workshop. Despite the existence of these problems, the Department has demonstrated
a strong commitment to the development of a conservation workshop, especially from
1970s onwards. These efforts had begun to bear visible fruits by late 1980s, of course
after a long struggle. This was, in time, noticed by neighbouring countries. We have
been asked for assistance and have successfully trained conservation technicians from
Zanzibar and Tanzania.
This case study will demonstrate how a relatively ‘poor’ National Archives can
achieve some visible successes in developing a conservation workshop and other
related facilities despite the existence of very major challenges.
The Long and Frustrating Journey
A well-resourced conservation workshop is certainly a necessary facility in an
archival institution. There are always some materials in need of restoration. But in
most developing countries, the first priority was to get funds to establish an archives
service with an understanding that conservation facilities were going to be set up later.
Mr D. Charman, the first Government Archivist soon found out that he was mistaken
to think that the above seemingly logical approach was going to get the support of the
Kenya Government. In 1963, he submitted proposals for additional but very moderate
financial support for the embryonic archives service. He must have been thoroughly
shocked when his request was not only turned down and he was informed that
‘There was no intention on the part of the Kenya Government to set up
a more sophisticated Archives organisation than already exists, small
though it is.....’ 4
This was a rather categorical and final statement which would have totally
discouraged an average person. However, Mr Charman was determined to pursue the
matter. He continued to lobby for additional resources for the then tiny archives
service, including additional personnel for a conservation workshop until his
secondment came to an end in 1965.
4
Letter from the Treasury Ref. No. BFN.704/60/02 dated 17th October, 1963 in file AR/1/3
Development of Kenya Archives Service.
CASE STUDIES 13: MUSEMBI
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