Directorates

The Department was formed under a Presidential Directive of 1980 with the responsibility to coordinate all cultural activities in the country. The department is involved in the promotion of cultural cooperation locally, regionally and internationally. 

The functions of the Department include:

(i) Provision of enabling policy and legislative framework for the culture sector.

(ii) Promotion, preservation and development of functional aspects of culture for sustainable development

(iii) Promotion and development of cultural industries and community cultural festivals.

(iv) Promotion, preservation and development of Kenya’s indigenous knowledge systems such as, traditional medicine, indigenous foods and other viable cultural practices for improvement of livelihoods and safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) for posterity. 

(v) Promotion of national cohesion, integration and appreciation of cultural diversity. 

(vi) Coordinating of international cultural conventions, cultural protocols and agreements.

(vii) Mainstreaming of positive cultural values systems in society. 

(viii) Cultural research, documentation and dissemination of cultural information and research findings.

(ix) Promotion and development of cultural infrastructure.

(x) Foster partnerships with donors, private sector, communities and civil society.

(xi) Establish mutual relations with county governments as outlined in schedule 4 of the constitution.

The Permanent Presidential Music Commission was established through Kenya Gazette Notice No. 2132 of April 1988 to develop, promote and preserve music and dance in Kenya. It is currently placed in the State Department for Culture, The Arts and Heritage vide Executive Order No.2 of November 2023.

The functions of the Commission are:

(i) Research, document, conserve, preserve and disseminate the music and dance heritage of Kenya.

(ii) Guide and co-ordinate music related activities in the country.

(iii) Identify, develop. nurture and promote music and dance talents in the country.

(iv) Promote and develop relevant and quality music and dance entertainment programmes during national days, state and presidential functions. 

(v) Co-ordinate the study of Kenyan music and dance as means of promoting the developing Kenya cultural heritage.

(vi) Oversee the articulation and protection of music rights, privileges and obligations; and 

(vii) Spearhead the promotion of Kenyan music and dance locally and internationally and to provide consultancy services in the field of music to the public and private sector.

The Department was established in 1965 by the Public Archives and Documentation Service Act, Cap.19. The Mandate of the department is to advice public offices on the creation, care, control and use of public records, acquire and preserve public and private records and archives and make records and archives accessible to users.

The functions of the department are:

(i) Examine any public records, and advise on the care, preservation, custody and control thereof.

(ii)Transfer to the National Archives any public records which the archivists consider should be housed in the National Archives.

(iii) Compile, make available and publish indexes and guides to, calendars and texts of, all public archives and records preserved in the National Archives.

(iv) Prepare publications concerning the activities provided by the archives.

(v) Regulate the conditions under which members of the public may inspect the public archives or use the facilities provided by the archives.

(vi) Provide for authentication of copies of and extracts from the public archives for use as evidence In legal proceedings or for any other purpose.

(vii) Make arrangements for separate housing of films and other records which require to be kept under special conditions.

(viii) Acquire or accept any document, book, record or other material of any description of historical or other value which are considered should be preserved in the national archives.

(ix) Take such steps as may be necessary to acquire and have returned to Kenya any public records of historical value to Kenya which may be residing outside the country.

(x) Lend, on such conditions as the director may consider necessary, any public archives for display at commemorative exhibitions of for other special purposes.

(xi) Approve any institution whether private or otherwise as a place wherein may be deposited, housed or preserved either permanently or temporarily any public archives of public records.

The Records Management Department in Ministries/State Departments were established in the Public Service vide Circular Letter Ref. No. MSPS.1/3/5A VOL VIII/(98) dated 23rd July, 2010, which also provides its mandate as formulation of records management policies, standards, guidelines, building capacity of Records Managers, spearhead digitization of records and information and ensuring security of records, documents and information in the public service.

(i) Formulation of policies, standards, guidelines and reform strategies on management of public records and information.

(ii) Administer, Review and Implement the Public Integrated Records and Information Management System (IPRIMS).

(iii) Spearhead digitization of records and information management in the Records Management units (E - Registries).

(iv) Capacity building of Records Managers, security of records, documents and Information.

(v) Recruitment, deployment and development of skills for Records Management Officers.

(vi)Administration of the Scheme of Service for Records Management Officers.

(vii) Modernize public records and information management to be globally competitive.

(viii) Develop records and information classification schemes/retention and disposal schedules.

(ix) Develop records and information incident management plan/disaster management programs.

(x)Spearheading ISO on records and information management and ensure best practices.

(xi) Monitor/Audit and Evaluate e- registry system and records management services.

(xii) Develop curriculums and programs on records and information management.

(xiii) Research, develop and promote modern records management best practices.

(xiv) Development, review and coordinate the implementation of records and information classification schemes, retention and disposal schedules in the public service.

(xv) Develop, review and coordinate the implementation of Records Management Procedures Manuals.

(xvi) Establish and develop inventory and metadata on closure of records during mergers/separations for both manual and electronic formats and in all types of media they are held. 

(xvii) Develop and implement e-regulatory framework on records and information management erasures in the public service.

(xviii) Establish IPRIMS center of excellence for benchmarking and skills transfer on electronic records and information management.

(xix) Establish and document standards and guidelines for records and information management facilities and equipment.

(xx) Develop standards and guidelines for digitalization of public records and information.

(xxi) Collaborate with the legal departments and relevant stakeholders to identify, align and implement ‘records-related’ or ‘records-oriented’ Acts, subsidiary rules, legislation, regulations and Executive Circulars that specifically affect the creation, management, maintenance, use, upto disposal of records, and harness them for use.

(xxii) Collaborate with relevant legal partners to develop Patent and copyright privileges for the IPRIMS and undertake branding.

The Ushanga Kenya Initiative is a national government flagship project domiciled at the State Department for Culture and Heritage that seeks to empower the pastoral women involved in bead work (Ushanga) by transforming their art for a significant economic benefit. This is done through mobilization of women through organized groups, provision of infrastructure and facilitating access to mass and niche markets at local, regional and international platforms.

The functions of the initiative include the following:

(i) To collaborate with institutions of higher learning, professionals and industrial associations, government agencies, and industrial research institutions to advance technology, and innovation for Ushanga development. 

(ii) To provide market intelligence through research, analysis and monitoring of trends and opportunities in international markets that Kenyan bead exporters can take advantage of to increase or diversify exports.

(iii) To promote and brand Kenya as a supplier of high-quality bead products. 

(iv) To anchor Ushanga Initiative into the nation bottom-up economic model in order to promote entrepreneurship and commercialization of beadwork by pastoral women and girls to spur the economy and generate revenues.

(v) To establish an integrated approach within national, county Government and private sector players towards creating synergy and collaboration of all organizations and entities supporting Ushanga in the country. 

(vi) To offer advice to Kenyan pastoralist women and girls involved in beadwork in quality and design Improvement, standards and product development, technology upgrading, and innovation.

(vii) To build capacity and training of pastoral community’s women in the seven target and any other counties in value addition and marketing skills in beads production to strengthen their competitiveness in both local and international markets.

(viii) To establish production, and innovation centers to spur creativity in the beading industry.

(ix) To mobilize women and girls into organized groups and cooperatives for aggregation of products and enjoy the economies of scale and bargaining powers in the market. 

(x)To develop local accreditation mechanisms and partner with international certification agencies. 

(xi) Provide policy guidance for and oversight over the Ushanga Kenya Initiative. 

(xii)To undertake bead exhibitions and explore other visibility opportunities locally, regionally and globally. 

(xiii) To safeguard the cultural bead practice heritage through patenting, industrial designs, register trademarks, certification marks and intellectual property rights registration of Ushanga products. 

(xiv) To collaborate with Government and private lending institutions to develop loan facilities geared towards helping bead making women. 

(xv) To Identify and safeguard Indigenous technological knowledge, contemporary and emerging designs in bead work.

The Department of Library Services was established through government circular No MSPS. 1/41A Vol.11/ (56) dated February, 2011 to “formulate, coordinate, and implement policies and guidelines for libraries in the civil service. 

The department functions include:

(i) Manage the collection, processing, retrieval and dissemination of all official information and coordinate library and information centers within the civil service.

(ii) Compile and maintain a catalogue of official publications, databases and websites of libraries in the civil service.

(iii) Promote competency development for library personnel in the civil service.

(iv) Promotion and marketing of library services for national building.

(v) Resource mobilization for libraries in the civil service.

(vi) Administer the scheme of service for librarians in the civil service.

(vii) Initiate recruitment of library personnel in the civil service.

(viii) Establishment of a network of civil service libraries and documentation centers.

(ix) Formulation and implementation of policy frameworks.

(x) Rendering of advice to the government regarding the allocation of funds to the LIS sector.

(xi) Establishing of effective cooperation by all LIS stakeholders.