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UK Hands Over Digitized Colonial Archives to Kenya, Promises Tech Support for National Archives

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The United Kingdom recently handed over digitized records from the British colonial era in Kenya.

UK High Commissioner Neil Wigan presented the collection of 2,658 files and over 300,000 images to President William Ruto for the Kenya National Archives during a ceremony celebrating the Gedi National Monument’s inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

What’s in the Digitized Files?

The records span 1907 to 1968 and include critical details of Kenya’s colonial past. Key highlights include:

  • Documentation of the Mau Mau insurgency and the collective punishments imposed.
  • Files on detained individuals and Kenya’s 1961 constitutional discussions.
  • Intelligence dossiers on prominent figures such as Jomo Kenyatta, Oginga Odinga, Daniel arap Moi, Tom Mboya, and others.

These records provide unprecedented digital access to Kenya’s colonial history, allowing researchers, students, and the public to engage with detailed archives that were previously stored in the UK.

Technology for Preservation

To support Kenya in managing the extensive records, Wigan announced the UK High Commission will fund new technology for the Kenya National Archives.

This includes the provision of computers and the development of a digital database to help catalog and preserve the materials efficiently.

“This investment in technology ensures that these archives are accessible for generations to come,” Wigan said. “By digitizing and sharing these records, Kenyans can better tell their own story using modern tools, while reflecting on the shared history between our two nations.”

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