Kitale Museum

Kitale Museum is a natural history museum displaying artifacts, weapons, utensils, and musical instruments from various Kenyan ethnic groups across indoor galleries and outdoor areas. The five-acre grounds include a nature trail featuring native plants and living animals in their habitat.

The museum was founded in 1924 as the Stoneham Museum when Colonel Hugh Stoneham donated his entire collection and funds to establish Kenya's first domestic museum. This early initiative laid the groundwork for preserving knowledge about the country's diverse communities.

The museum displays homestead replicas from different ethnic groups, showing how people arranged their living spaces and used them for daily activities. Each exhibits reveals the practical ways communities organized their homes and conducted their daily routines.

The museum is located one kilometer west of Kitale town center and can be reached on foot if you allow time for the walk. Early morning or late afternoon visits offer the most comfortable conditions, as the heat is less intense and wildlife is more active.

The museum keeps various reptile species on its grounds, including Nile crocodiles, leopard tortoises, puff adders, and several python species. This living collection transforms the museum grounds into more than just an exhibition space, offering chances to observe local wildlife firsthand.

Location: Kitale

Inception: 1924

GPS coordinates: 1.01351,35.00530

Latest update: December 14, 2025 12:28