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First opened in 1924 to the public, the Kitale Museum is the first domestic museum opened in Kenya. Originally known as the Stoneham Museum, which was named after Colonel Hugh Stoneham who had been a large contributor and collector of the artifacts held within the museum up until his death in 1966. It was later renamed the Kitale Museum when it was established by the National Museums of Kenya in 1974.
The Kitale Museum used to be a privately owned museum prior to the death of Colonel Stoneham. After he died he willed funds as well as his entire collection, which included an extensive insect collection to the Kenyan government so that they could establish a national museum. In 1974 a new museum building was founded in
The Kitale Museum used to be a privately owned museum prior to the death of Colonel Stoneham. After he died he willed funds as well as his entire collection, which included an extensive insect collection to the Kenyan government so that they could establish a national museum. In 1974 a new museum building was founded in Kitale
Kitale is an agricultural town in northern Rift Valley Kenya situated between Mount Elgon and the Cherangany Hills at an elevation of around . Its population is 106,187 as of 2009. Kitale is the headquarter town of Trans-Nzoia County. Kitale is r ...
on 5 acres of land making the Kitale Museum the first regional museum to become a part of the Kenya Museum Society.
Kitale Museum is located in western Kenya in Trans-Nzoia County. It is exactly 380 kilometres northwest from the nation's capital, Nairobi. The museum is 1 km west of the town centre on the outskirts of Kitale.
A majority of the collections within the museum are items gathered from various tribes within Kenya such as the Luyha, Maasai and the Turkana. The museum displays their traditional Kenyan homes, weaponry, utensils and native musical instruments. The museum also includes a nature trail, which was created in 1977 and is located towards the back of the museum. This nature trail conserves various rare plants and animals. It is a serene makeshift rainforest that allows visitors of the museum to experience what it's like to be inside an actual Kenyan rainforest. The museum also holds animals such as Nile crocodile
The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the central, eastern, ...
s, leopard tortoise
The leopard tortoise (''Stigmochelys pardalis'') is a large and attractively marked tortoise found in the savannas of eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan to the southern Cape. It is the only extant member of the genus ''Stigmochelys'', althoug ...
s and various poisonous snakes such as the puff adder
The puff adder (''Bitis arietans'') is a viper species found in savannahs and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rainforest regions.U.S. Navy. 1991. ''Venomous Snakes of the World''. US Govt. ...
, rock python, Gaboon viper and the rhinoceros viper
''Bitis nasicornis'' is a viper species found in the forests of West and Central Africa. This large viper is known for its striking coloration and prominent nasal "horns". No subspecies are currently recognized. Its common names include butter ...
.
See also
*List of museums in Kenya
This is a list of museums in Kenya. Many of these national and provincial museums are administered by the National Museums of Kenya (NMK).
Museums
* Abasuba Community Peace Museum, Mfangano Island.
* Aeumbu Community Peace Museum, near Embu. ...
The museum showcases the history of the communities in Kenya, especially the Luhya tribe. This showcases the setup of a Bukusu homestead which comprises the main house, the kitchen and boys sleeping house also known as the SIMBA. The Sabaot homestead consists of circular huts (mostly of about 20 metres in diameter) and is divided into two parts: the front part called Koima, in which most of the people live, while the back smaller part is called Injoor and is mainly reserved for small endangered animals like goats and sheep.
References
{{Museums in Kenya Museums in Kenya Museums established in 1974 Trans-Nzoia County Buildings and structures in Rift Valley Province Tourist attractions in Rift Valley Province