AO: While it may seem self-evident, this excerpt from the workshop summary report underlines the continued importance of physical buildings to protect archival material. Especially at a time when...Read more
AO: This excerpt from the interview describes why Ukombozi Library was seen to be needed -- especially highlighting the perceived gap in progressive content in publically accessible libraries and...Read more
TM: Interesting peice that prepares the researcher of the wealth of resources at the Kenya National Archives. However, this archaival resources come at a price as the anthropologically romanticized struggle researchers face at the archives as they navigate the waters of the KNA is documented in...Read more
AO: This excerpt from the interview raises the argument that of the work that is published and distributed, there is little content of relevance to working class Kenyans....Read more
Transcript of Audio Clip Recorded December 7, 2020
Angela Okune:
I can start with the technical education since I'll probably draw from the post that I wrote kitambo [a long time ago] and like pull from other stuff. I think what's really interesting about the...Read more
AO: This brief Daily Nation article from May 31, 2019 outlines the history of the building and describes how: "[b]y offering internships, attachments and volunteer opportunities to youth, the Archives continues to play a critical role in the lives of Kenyans." I included the article to...Read more
From book jacket: “We will never be silent until we get land to cultivate and freedom in this country of ours” …so sang Mau Mau activists. The struggle for independence in Kenya was waged at many levels. Never be Silent explores how this struggle was reflected in the...Read more
AO: This excerpt from Mnjama (2003) highlights how the Kenya National Archive in the late 1970s uniquely innovated on how to position the institution to be relevant for Kenyans. However, the...Read more
With regards to identifying archives around the city, I think some of the collections that are generally not talked about are parastatal archives. This [would include] Kenya Railways, Kenya Posta, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, etc. Because they are both private and public institutions, the...Read more
AO: This interview with Shiraz Durrani and Kimani Waweru by Stephanie Kitchen was conducted in 2017 and published in Read African Books. Waweru manages the Ukombozi Library on a day-to-day basis and Durrani is the founder of Vita Books, one of the collaborating founders of the library.Read more