Conservation and Preservation of Immovable Heritage from Below: Local Community Involvement in the Management of Shimoni Caves in the South Coast of Kenya

Abstract

The archaeological heritage, both movable and immovable, is part of the country's cultural heritage. This heritage not only documents the past but also defines people and gives society its identity and sense of belonging. Cultural heritage resources have various values and contribute to the overall development of societies where they exist. In Kenya, according to National Museums and Heritage Act 2006, all the archaeological heritage is managed by the National Museums of Kenya (NMK). Among other responsibilities, the institution is required to protect and conserve these cultural resources as part of its management obligations. Besides, Kenya is a signatory to many international conventions on archaeological heritage management, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 1972 World Heritage Convention that sets out international standards on cultural heritage management in the world. Despite the existence of these local and international protocols, challenges mostly relating to effective immovable archaeological heritage management still abound. Of essence is a management model deployed to ensure that immovable heritage as finite resources survive to posterity. To this end, many innovative approaches have emerged to bridge the gap, the key of which is the enhanced role of the local community in archaeological heritage management. This new paradigm shift ought to be embraced in the country since immovable heritage derives immediate value from the communities around it before assuming relevance to national or global human heritage. This article employs qualitative research methods to unravel the level and framework under which the Shimoni Caves' community in the South Coast of Kenya is involved in managing this resource as an immovable heritage.

The key is the threat of modernization and despite the potential the approach holds in promoting ownership and identity of locals with the heritage for sustainability in management and utilization, there is a lower level of knowledge towards conservation. Utilization for touristic value derivation is a double-edged sword. The NMK, as custodian of heritage laws, needs to collaborate with the communities to guide and lead preservation and conservation efforts to attain sustainable usage.