•Groth said the matter is ‘sensitive, political and religious.’
•Scientists have been conducting research to identify their descendants.
Image: Leah Mukangai
German authorities are struggling to repatriate human remains taken from Africa and stored in Berlin for over a century.
On Tuesday, German Ambassador Sebastian Groth, who termed the matter ‘sensitive, political and religious’, revealed that plans are underway to engage the affected communities.
Scientists have been conducting research to identify their descendants.
Groth said the bid to return the remains is a ‘defining moment’. He spoke on Tuesday at the National Museums of Kenya during the opening of the third and final module of this year’s ‘TheMuseumsLab’.
Dubbed the "Museums of the Future: Embracing Diversity and Sustainability in Nairobi," the two-week module offers a platform for professional exchanges between local and visiting curators, researchers and executives.
Participants are drawn from museums, galleries, and heritage sites across African and European countries.
The module seeks to address issues related to the challenges of embracing diversity and sustainability in museums particularly in light of emerging issues such as inclusivity, decolonisation and global challenges such as the impact of Covid-19 and climate change.
Participants will learn how museums have evolved from passive collectors and exhibitors to dynamic places of learning, engagement, and inspiration.
Present during the ceremony included NMK Director General Prof Mary Gikungu, Goethe Institute Nairobi director Cristina Nord and NMK director for antiquities, sites and monuments Dr Fredrick Manthi.
Groth hinted that the proposals will be a political decision in Africa and Europe.
Experts at NMK revealed to the Star that the skulls set to be repatriated to Lamu are 46.
Repatriating them will, however, take time as research will have to indicate who the victims were as well as their relatives and what the community wants.
Such communities might also demand compensation.
Sources said NMK does not have enough space to accommodate such remains should communities reject them.
Researchers in Berlin have since 2017 been struggling to return the remains of Africans that were stolen from the country and taken to Germany for “scientific” experiments during the colonial era.
Media reports indicate that Berlin’s Museum of Prehistory and Early History has been carrying out research on about 1,100 skulls taken from what was then known as German East Africa.
Authorities in Berlin museum have announced their willingness to return hundreds of human skulls.
Associated Press had early this year reported that the Scientists had already examined 1,135 skulls.
Of those, AP reported that 904 of the skulls could be assigned to Rwanda; 202 to Tanzania and 22 to Kenya.
However, seven more skulls did not reveal the origin.
Prof Gikungu said NMK has more than 10 million collections of natural and cultural heritage.
“We conserve and preserve natural heritage for education, research, conservation and prosperity,” she said.
Prof Gikungu said NMK prides itself for hosting an exhibition on human evolution.
She said the country is the cradle of mankind owing to many discoveries such as old tools found in Turkana and other areas.
Nord decried that restitution of some of the artefacts is progressing very slowly.
"The depots in Brussels, Paris, London or Berlin still hold an enormous wealth of artefacts from the continent. There’s no lack of critical initiatives, critical writing, critical workshops, critical panel discussions, while concrete steps are scarce," she said.
Nord said Africans wishing to get reacquainted with their cultural heritage by visiting the British Museum, the Humboldt Forum or the Musée du Quai Branly will face difficulties obtaining a visa.