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Patrick Abungu is Senior Curator at Kisumu Museum, National Museums of Kenya. He holds a Master's degree in Museology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Museums and Heritage Studies, and an Advanced Certificate in Information Technology. He has worked in the heritage sector, particularly with the National Museums of Kenya, since 1988, beginning as a volunteer archaeology laboratory assistant before progressing to roles as a collections documentation assistant, data processor, and curatorial assistant in the Department of Coastal Archaeology at Fort Jesus Museum, Mombasa. He previously served as Senior Curator in charge of the Shimoni Slavery Museum and Heritage Site, where he led efforts to establish a museum dedicated to the theme of slavery and the slave trade; a practice once rampant in the region owing to its proximity to Zanzibar, a major slave auction market on the Trans-Indian Ocean slave route. Shimoni played a significant role in this trade due to its extensive caves, which were used as slave pens to hold captives before their shipment to the Zanzibar market in neighbouring Tanzania. His specialities include the conservation and management of heritage resources in partnership with diverse communities for development purposes.
Affiliation(s): National Museums of Kenya
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Published Work: Abungu, P., & Lafleur, J.-F. (2023). Slave trade, slavery and the politics of heritage representation in Africa: Examples from Kenya and Mauritius. In G. O. Abungu & W. Ndoro (Eds.), Cultural heritage management in Africa: The heritage of the colonized (Chapter 9). Routledge.
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Honourable Sarah Nyanath Elijah Yong is the Minister of Culture, Museums, and National Heritage for the Republic of South Sudan, having taken office in early 2026 from her predecessor, Dr Nadia Arop Dudi. Under her leadership, the Ministry has focused on preserving South Sudan's history and elevating its natural landmarks internationally. Notable achievements include signing and submitting the country's first Emergency World Heritage Nomination dossier to UNESCO for the Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape, and representing South Sudan at African Union events advocating for reparations, memory, and sovereignty over African heritage resources. She has also championed national identity through cultural events and community engagement, including marking Independence Anniversary celebrations.
Affiliation(s): South Sudan Minister of Culture, Museums and National Heritage
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Published Work: Elijah, S. N., & Huggins, C. (2003, February). The missing link: Identifying and addressing linkages between local conflicts and macro-conflicts in Southern Sudan [Paper presentation]. IRG and IDRC Regional Consultations Towards a Regional Security Architecture: Assessing Issues and Developing Capacity in the Horn of Africa. Sudan Open Archive.
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Dr Philip Maligisu's career is heavily focused on decolonising the African museum narrative . He has extensively researched how museums in Tanzania were initially utilized as Western propaganda tools and how these institutions can be repurposed to foster a sense of true Pan-African national identity in the post-colonial period. He curated the "Cultural Violence" exhibition for the National Museum of Tanzania, examining belongings looted by German troops during the Majimaji War. He has spent years researching the origins and journeys of Tanzanian belongings held in German museums, helping decentre colonial narratives in favour of emic perspectives. He has also documented the Swahili Coast's intangible maritime heritage, including traditional boatbuilding and the archaeology of sites such as Kilwa Kisiwani.
Affiliation(s): UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for Tanzania; University of Dar es Salaam; National Museum of Tanzania
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Published Work: Cooper, J.P., Ichumbaki, E.B., Blue, L.K., Maligisu, P.C.M., & Mark, S.R. (2022). "When the 'Asset' Is Livelihood: Making Heritage with the Maritime Practitioners of Bagamoyo, Tanzania." Heritage, 5(2), 1160-1198.
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Philemon Nyamanga has a background in anthropology, heritage conservation and risk management. He is a research scientist working for the National Museums of Kenya in the Cultural Heritage department. He has been involved in developing several exhibitions including “Kanga Stories: The Cloth That Reveals” (2011), “Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Exhibition” (2016), “Abasuba Pictorial Exhibition” (2017), “Omieri Exhibition” (2018), “Central Bank of Kenya Numismatic Exhibition” (2018), “Biennale NMK Science Expos” (2010–2019) and “Nelson Mandela: A Centenary Celebration” (2018). Philemon has been a member of the exhibitions committee at Nairobi National Museum since 2012.
Affiliation(s): National Museums of Kenya
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Published Work: The role of digital humanities in the preservation of indigenous knowledge at the National Museums of Kenya.
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Dr Nancy Rushohora is a Tanzanian archaeologist and heritage scholar whose work deeply engages with memory, colonial history, and cultural heritage. She is a Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies staff member and an honorary research fellow at the University of Exeter (UK) and Stellenbosch University (South Africa). Her research more specifically focuses on the archaeology of resistance, heritage, trauma, collective memory, and the politics of photographs and memorialization.
Affiliation(s): University of Dar es Salaam
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Published Work: Rushohora, N. (2024). Tanzania and the Apparent Lack of Restitution Activism. Geschichte und Gesellschaft, 50(1), 168-181.
Patrick Abungu is Senior Curator at Kisumu Museum, National Museums of Kenya. He holds a Master's degree in Museology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Museums and Heritage Studies, and an Advanced Certificate in Information Technology. He has worked in the heritage sector, particularly with the National Museums of Kenya, since 1988, beginning as a volunteer archaeology laboratory assistant before progressing to roles as a collections documentation assistant, data processor, and curatorial assistant in the Department of Coastal Archaeology at Fort Jesus Museum, Mombasa. He previously served as Senior Curator in charge of the Shimoni Slavery Museum and Heritage Site, where he led efforts to establish a museum dedicated to the theme of slavery and the slave trade; a practice once rampant in the region owing to its proximity to Zanzibar, a major slave auction market on the Trans-Indian Ocean slave route. Shimoni played a significant role in this trade due to its extensive caves, which were used as slave pens to hold captives before their shipment to the Zanzibar market in neighbouring Tanzania. His specialities include the conservation and management of heritage resources in partnership with diverse communities for development purposes.
Abungu, P., & Lafleur, J.-F. (2023). Slave trade, slavery and the politics of heritage representation in Africa: Examples from Kenya and Mauritius. In G. O. Abungu & W. Ndoro (Eds.), Cultural heritage management in Africa: The heritage of the colonized (Chapter 9). Routledge.
