Kenya’s rich cultural and historical heritage is under threat as 400 heritage sites face possible extinction due to poor maintenance. The lack of funding for conservation efforts has resulted in their deterioration, discouraging both local and international tourists and leading to a significant loss of revenue.
Principal Secretary for Culture, Arts, and Heritage, Ms. Umma Bashir, recently informed the National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture that financial constraints have hampered regular maintenance of these sites. She appealed to the committee, chaired by Dan Wanyama, to advocate for increased budgetary allocation to rehabilitate the sites, warning that Kenya risks losing a crucial part of its history.
“Kenya is blessed with unique historical sites spread across the country, but they are deteriorating due to neglect. We request the Committee to help secure funds for their rehabilitation,” Ms. Bashir stated.
The current state of heritage sites has led to dwindling tourist numbers. According to Ms. Bashir, those who do visit often express dissatisfaction with their condition. This has impacted revenue generation, further exacerbating the funding challenges facing the department.
During the budget presentation for the 2025/26 fiscal year, Ms. Bashir revealed that the department has been allocated Kshs. 3.54 billion against its required Kshs. 5.98 billion. Of the allocated funds, Kshs. 3.45 billion is for recurrent expenditure, while only Kshs. 90 million is earmarked for development projects.
The Committee acknowledged the urgent need for rehabilitation and conservation of historical sites and urged the department to seek global partnerships for additional funding. Suba South MP Caroli Omondi emphasized the importance of exploring international support for heritage conservation.
“There are global partners interested in supporting heritage conservation. You need to reach out to them to supplement what the government provides,” Hon. Omondi advised.
Concerns were also raised regarding the failure to honor national heroes and heroines, such as the late broadcaster Mambo Mbotela. Ms. Bashir explained that the department lacks the necessary funds but has requested Kshs. 50 million to establish a Heroes Fund to celebrate outstanding citizens.
Other projects requiring funding include the construction of the Wundanyi Resource Centre, a music studio for artists, the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Kapenguria Six site, and the establishment of the Marachi Cultural Centre.
Ms. Bashir further noted that financial constraints have also delayed the finalization of the Kiswahili Bill and the establishment of the National Kiswahili Council, which are crucial for promoting Kenya’s linguistic heritage.
Without immediate intervention, Kenya stands to lose irreplaceable pieces of its history, culture, and identity
