Why Doesn’t Eldoret Have a Museum and an Archive

 By William Kiptoo

Despite its historical richness and cultural diversity, Eldoret lacks two critical institutions: a public museum and a proper archival center. This absence is not just a missed opportunity—it is a glaring gap that weakens our identity, memory, and ability to plan for the future.

Every town that hopes to understand itself and tell its story with pride needs a place where its history is preserved and interpreted.

Eldoret, and the wider Uasin Gishu region, has a remarkable and unique history. From the prehistoric Sirikwa communities who lived in stone-lined depressions and caves, to the early colonial settlement by the Boers, the contributions of Indian and Sikh traders, and the resilience of indigenous African communities, our past is layered, complex, and deeply meaningful. Yet today, there is no formal space where residents or visitors can engage with that history in a structured, educational, and inspiring way.

A museum is not just about artifacts in glass boxes; it is a living institution. It serves as a mirror for society—a space where children learn who they are, where adults reflect on their heritage, and where visitors gain deeper appreciation for the culture and people of the region. Imagine a museum in Eldoret that tells the story of the Sirikwa holes, that displays traditional tools, early farming implements, and photographs of the railway construction; that documents the struggles of early African laborers; that celebrates our athletics heritage with exhibits on Kipchoge, Jelimo, and the many other champions who train on these high-altitude hills. Such a museum would become a landmark, a source of civic pride, and a boost to cultural tourism.

The absence of an archive is equally troubling. Government records, early town plans, land agreements, personal papers of influential leaders, photos of colonial-era Eldoret, letters, maps—where are these kept? Who is protecting them? In most cases, they are either gathering dust in insecure rooms or have been lost entirely. Without archives, we lose our ability to trace policy decisions, understand land ownership, resolve disputes, or study our local development path. Historians, researchers, students, and even public servants are left without credible sources to work with. Archives are not a luxury; they are a public good.

So why don’t we have these institutions? The reasons are many: lack of political will, inadequate funding, weak advocacy from cultural stakeholders, and the general undervaluing of history in national development narratives. Often, museums and archives are seen as irrelevant in a town pushing toward modernity and infrastructure expansion. But this is short-sighted. You cannot build a strong future on a forgotten past. In fact, cities that invest in cultural infrastructure often reap unexpected benefits: increased tourism, strengthened community identity, and greater youth engagement in civic life.

The time has come for leaders in Uasin Gishu County, especially in Eldoret, to prioritize this issue. It does not require billions of shillings to begin. A small, well-managed public museum can start in a modest building with rotating exhibitions, community collections, and educational outreach. A local archive can begin with digitization of records, oral history projects, and partnerships with national institutions such as the Kenya National Archives or the National Museums of Kenya.

Civil society, academia, the business community, and even the diaspora can all play a role. Eldoret’s universities have history departments with trained researchers. Our business leaders, many of whom are second- or third-generation residents, have family histories that are part of the town’s story. Let us bring these forces together to demand and support the creation of these vital institutions.

Eldoret is a town with a powerful story. Let’s not let it slip away. Let us build a museum and an archive—not just for us, but for future generations who will want to know where they came from, and how this great town was built.