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Development of Conservation Facilities in Kenya
National Archives: A Case Study
Learning Objectives
This case study demonstrates the pitfalls in planning and establishing a conservation
workshop in a developing country. More significantly, it shows that
(a) It is likely to take longer to establish such a facility if there is no time frame to
complete the project/programme from the very beginning as was the case in
this study.
(b) Due to multifaceted problems and constraints, it requires patience to establish
a conservation workshop in most developing countries. There is a tendency to
give up even before one starts the first step. This must be avoided.
(c) Where the knowledge base in conservation matters is limited, the services of a
consultant in this specialised area would be necessary so as to catalyse the
process of developing the facility.
Problems/Exercises Based on the case study
(a) Failure to recognise the costs of making uninformed decisions, and the
consequent failure to obtain professional advice can lead to big losses. Go
through the case study and list five specific instances where funds were
wasted.
(b) Mr Rhys-Lewis did not prioritise his recommendations. Study the
recommendation carefully and prioritise them. Justify your ranking.
Discussion/Study Questions
(a) Why did the first Government Archivist avoid developing a big and advanced
conservation/book binding facility?
Suggested Responses
(i) Because professional capability was virtually absent in the country at
the time and he wanted, for good reasons, to start from the scratch; ie.
starting from book binding activities and thereafter moving on to
document repair.
(ii) Funds and personnel were, as is the case now, very limited.
CASE STUDIES 13: MUSEMBI
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