ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the history of the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) from its inception as a private colonial entity to its post-devolution status as a national public institution. While focusing on Nairobi National Museum as the institution's headquarters and flagship museum, the chapter revisits the institution's colonial legacy and post-colonial initiatives in search for relevance within the country's sociocultural and economic context. Such initiatives have ranged from reaching out to local communities by establishing regional museums, to development of education programs for diverse groups of Kenyan learners. The chapter also highlights NMK's long engagement in the global restitution debate as well as the challenges of representation of Kenyan national identity, owing mainly to the ethno-political differences that continue to be embedded in Kenyan society. Finally, it looks at the challenges and opportunities that devolution presents in terms of nationhood representation and heritage management in the country.
