Kitale Museum

Kitale Museum was the first of the Inland museums to be developed in Kenya formerly known by the name the Stoneham Museum. The name was derived from an amateur naturalist who lived in Kitale by the name Lieutenant colonel Hugh Stoneham. Stoneham had a collection of insects, animals and books from 1894 from when he was only five years old until 1966 when he died. Mrs. Linda Donley a peace Corp volunteer was the first curator in 1974.

In 1926 he founded the Stoneham Museum which was a private museum and later willed his collections as well as funds for a new museum building to the Kenya Nation. A new building was erected on five acres of land on the outskirts of Kitale town. In December 1974, the National museums of Western Kenya was opened and became the first regional museum in the Kenya Museum Society.

The Kitale Museum contains a lot of ethnographical materials collected from surrounding ethnic groups in addition to Stoneham’s collections.

The museum now practice environmental conservation complete with a nature trail and Olof Palme Memorial Agroforestry center which was started in 1983. Its aim was to promote agroforestry in West Pokot district.

The Education department in Kitale museum organizes programs for Secondary schools and colleges where various people have given lectures and relevant films have been screened.

Kitale Museum is under the management of National museums of Kenya.