It is with deepest sadness that I write to the membership and the archival community to inform them of the passing of Prof Justus Wamukoya. Professor Wamukoya started his career as an archivist at the National Archives of Kenya in 1979 and he continued to serve in various capacities in that institution until 1989. In 1989, he began teaching at Moi University and during his tenure with the university went on to earn a Masters in Archival Studies (1990) and a doctorate (1996) from University College London (London, UK). He taught for a time at the University of Botswana (2003-2007) before returning to Moi University in 2007. In 2014, he was appointed Dean of the School of Information Studies at Moi University, a position he held until his passing.
Prof. Wamukoya will be greatly missed by colleagues from around the world. He was a wonderful teacher, mentor and friend. Many of us in the community had the privilege of working with and benefitting from Prof Wamukoya’s experience, wise advice and encouragement. He supported and mentored many young archivists starting out their careers, in particular in Sub-Saharan African. He was also great advocate for the importance of the records and archives profession in promoting accountability, transparency and good governance, writing and publishing many articles on the topic as well as working on such projects as the International Records Management Trust’s project Managing Records as Reliable Evidence for ICA/e-Government and Freedom of Information in East Africa. He was actively involved in the ICA supporting the work of ESARBICA as well serving on the ICA Africa Programme Steering Committee and giving the keynote speech at the ICA-Yaounde conference (2018). His contributions go far beyond what this message can cover, and we will be publishing a more complete piece honouring the contributions of Prof. Wamukoya at a later date.
In closing, on behalf of the ICA, I wish to extend my condolences to Prof Wamukoya’s family, friends and colleagues.
With sympathies,
Dr Anthea Seles
Secretary General
International Council on Archives