27th February 2026: The Department of Library and Information Services successfully hosted a one-day Intergenerational Knowledge-Sharing and cultural Forum at the Upper Kabete Faculty Club, bringing together community elders and members of the academic community to document and preserve indigenous knowledge of the Agĩkũyũ community and to showcase cultural diversity in Kenya. The forum, themed “Harnessing Cultural Practices and Tacit Knowledge,” provided a platform for elders to share lived experiences, cultural wisdom, and oral traditions that have been passed down through generations.
The initiative sought to safeguard cultural knowledge that is increasingly at risk of being lost due to modernization and changing social dynamics. The event was held alongside the Library Cultural Day, an annual celebration organized by the Library to promote cultural diversity, heritage appreciation, and community engagement within the university. The Library team was led by the Director, Ms. Angela Mumo, who emphasized the Library’s commitment to strengthening knowledge management practices to document, preserve, and make accessible indigenous knowledge for present and future generations. She noted that libraries play a critical role in safeguarding cultural heritage by capturing and preserving valuable community knowledge that might otherwise be lost.
During the forum, elders shared valuable insights on a wide range of cultural themes, including traditional communication systems, indigenous medicine, religious beliefs and spirituality, childbirth practices, marriage traditions, circumcision rites, land ownership practices, and traditional governance systems. Discussions also explored women’s rights in the past compared to the present, polygamy and family structures, and cultural practices surrounding death and burial. The University of Nairobi TV station (UoN TV) provided media coverage of the event, documenting the proceedings and discussions. The Library will store the recorded proceedings and documented materials from the forum as part of its knowledge management initiatives to preserve indigenous knowledge and ensure that it remains accessible as a valuable reference resource for current and future generations of researchers, students, and community members.
The event forms part of the Department’s Performance Contract targets for the 2025/2026 financial year and contributes to the achievement of two key targets related to community engagement and the promotion of cultural diversity and indigenous knowledge systems. Through this initiative, the Department reaffirmed its commitment to cultural diversity, knowledge preservation, and community partnership.
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