Nairobi Museum's Fossil Collections at Risk

The Nairobi National Museum, housing millions of invaluable specimens including the famous Turab Boy fossil, is in critical need of funding and restoration. The museum's collection consists of around 10 million specimens, yet deteriorating conditions threaten their preservation. Limited resources and recent corruption scandals have exacerbated the situation, leaving the collection in a state of decay. Tom Makuyu, the museum's collection manager, emphasized the urgent need for investment to protect and properly curate these historical artifacts. Despite these challenges, an international coalition of scientists, alongside local experts, is on a mission to improve conditions at the museum. This initiative aims to restore the museum and secure funding for better storage and preservation techniques. The Turab Boy skeleton, vital for understanding human evolution, showcases the museum's significance, yet is stored in far superior conditions compared to the rest of the collection, which is poorly organized and at risk. With Kenya's ongoing financial crisis contributing to the museum's struggles, dedicated staff continues to work tirelessly to maintain the integrity of these specimens. The recent commitment from the Smithsonian Institution to lead an assessment offers hope for the museum's future, necessitating millions in funding to ensure these crucial collections are preserved not just for Kenya, but for global scientific heritage.