Book contents
- Curating the Colonial Past
- African Studies Series
- Curating the Colonial Past
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I Struggle to Conceal
- Part II Struggle to Reveal
- 5 International Archival (B)Orders
- 6 “The Memory of a Nation”
- 7 Decolonization and the Struggle for Kenya’s “Migrated Archives”
- Conclusion
- Appendix
- Bibliography
- Index
- African Studies Series
6 - “The Memory of a Nation”
The Co-Development of Kenya and Its Archives
from Part II - Struggle to Reveal
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 September 2025
Book contents
- Curating the Colonial Past
- African Studies Series
- Curating the Colonial Past
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I Struggle to Conceal
- Part II Struggle to Reveal
- 5 International Archival (B)Orders
- 6 “The Memory of a Nation”
- 7 Decolonization and the Struggle for Kenya’s “Migrated Archives”
- Conclusion
- Appendix
- Bibliography
- Index
- African Studies Series
Summary
Chapter 6 returns to Nairobi as the site of the Kenya National Archives and the capital of a government in the throes of establishing its forms and functions in the aftermath of independence. It examines how Kenyan politicians, historians, and archivists employed the national archives as an instrument for nation-building, burdened though it was by the colonial origins of the institution. Aware of the massive removal, destruction, and weeding of secret records and bogged down by the over-stuffed and poorly organized offices of their colonial predecessors, a group of Kenya’s first independent politicians conceived of a national archives service as a way to demonstrate superior methods of recordkeeping and, thus, governance. The institution enabled politicians to at once advocate continuity between the colonial and independent governments as well as to claim unique mastery in both administration and history-writing
Keywords
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Curating the Colonial PastThe ‘Migrated Archives' and the Struggle for Kenya's History, pp. 200 - 235Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
Accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AAA
Why this information is here
This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.Accessibility Information
The PDF of this book
complies with version 2.2 of the
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG), offering more comprehensive accessibility measures for a broad range
of users and attains the highest
(AAA)
level of WCAG compliance, optimising the user experience by meeting the most extensive
accessibility guidelines.
Content Navigation
Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.
Reading Order & Textual Equivalents
Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Short alternative textual descriptions
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
You get concise descriptions (for images, charts, or media clips), ensuring you do not miss crucial information when visual or audio elements are not accessible.
Full alternative textual descriptions
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
Visual Accessibility
Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
Use of high contrast between text and background colour
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.