Museum staff trained in risk reduction to protect cultural heritage

Staff at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) have undergone training in disaster risk reduction to strengthen their capacity to protect heritage sites across the country.

This initiative comes amid rising threats to national heritage, including climate change, fires, vandalism, and theft. Fires, particularly those caused by electrical faults, are a significant concern.

At the Coast, rising sea levels threaten prominent historical sites such as Fort Jesus and the iconic Vasco da Gama Pillar—the oldest surviving Portuguese architecture in tropical Africa, built in 1498.

Betty Karanja, a research scientist in the Cultural Heritage Department at NMK, said the institution has responded by installing protective infrastructure, including concrete seawalls, to mitigate further damage.

“Rising sea levels are already endangering heritage landmarks like Fort Jesus and the Vasco da Gama Pillar. Without urgent intervention, we risk losing irreplaceable cultural treasures,” she said.

She spoke during the opening of the Disaster Management Training Workshop held in Nairobi, organized by NMK in partnership with the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and other key stakeholders, under the theme “Building Knowledge and Networks for Emergencies: Managing Floods, Fires, and Theft.”

The event brought together international experts, heritage professionals, and security specialists, providing participants with hands-on training in disaster preparedness and response, specifically tailored to cultural institutions.

Museum staff from other countries, including Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, and Germany, also took part, enriching the program with valuable cross-cultural perspectives.

Stakeholders emphasized the growing urgency of disaster preparedness due to both natural and human-made threats in East Africa. Participants explored strategies to protect artifacts, respond effectively to emergencies, and prevent damage before it occurs.

“This training addresses challenges such as the defacing of ancient rock art, some thousands of years old. Increasingly, people inscribe their names on these sites, underscoring the need for public education and stronger site protection,” Njeru explained.

She noted that Kenya has, so far, experienced only minor internal incidents, such as an attempted theft of a metal sculpture from the Joseph Murumbi gravesite, possibly for scrap metal.

At least 13 NMK staff members across the country have completed the training, with plans underway to expand the program to other regional institutions.

She explained, “We want to ensure all museum personnel are equipped to protect collections from both natural disasters and human threats.”

Dr Taita Terer, Director of the National Repository and Research at NMK, emphasized that preparedness is not optional but a necessity.

He described the training as timely, given the growing risks institutions face from climate change, security threats, and other emergencies.

“We are entrusted with preserving Kenya’s cultural and natural heritage for both current and future generations. Yet climate change has worsened flooding, fire risks persist, and theft remains a growing concern,” Dr. Terer said.

He stressed that these threats not only endanger collections but also erode public trust and undermine the legacy NMK is tasked with protecting.

He added, “By strengthening our teams and developing practical response plans, we are taking direct steps to secure our heritage.”

Dr. Terer praised the workshop’s focus on practical, hands-on exercises and inter-institutional collaboration, calling them essential for real-world disaster response.

Emmanuel Hamatwi, ICOM Africa Board Member and President of ICOM Zambia, outlined the dire conditions many African museums face, such as outdated fire extinguishers, lack of waterproof storage, limited cybersecurity, inadequate staff training, and institutional isolation and underfunding.

“Many museum professionals work with passion but little support. Worse still, institutions often operate in isolation, missing the benefits of regional collaboration,” he said.

Hamatwi called for a shift in mindset: “Floods, fires, and theft no longer ask for permission. These threats come unannounced, and sometimes, they destroy everything. We must move from reactive to proactive. Our collections may be silent, but their loss would speak volumes.”

He cited recent losses across Africa, including submerged archives in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, while flooding along the Nile damaged sites in Uganda.

Other incidents include the theft of priceless artifacts from Nigerian museums, fires at historic Ethiopian sites, and the 2021 UCT Jagger Library fire in Cape Town, which destroyed decades of scholarship.

“These events teach us to know our terrain, map the risks, elevate collections, and digitize before disaster strikes,” he urged.

Hamatwi emphasized the importance of capacity building and staff empowerment, investment in technology and digitization, sustainable infrastructure and policy frameworks, as well as community engagement and awareness.

Since museums belong to the community, stakeholders suggested empowering local residents as first responders and integrating public awareness into exhibitions.

They also emphasized the importance of listening to ancestral voices through traditional leaders, who have historically been excluded, yet often carry the most resilient forms of wisdom.

He concluded, “Our intervention must be firm: improved surveillance, specialized staff training in cultural crime, and making theft socially unacceptable through community involvement.”