Cover Page. The handle holds various files of this Leiden University dissertation.

Transcription

1 Cover Page The handle holds various files of this Leiden University dissertation. Author: Akker, M.L. van den Title: Monument of nature? An ethnography of the world heritage of Mt. Kenya Issue Date:

2 MONUMENT OF NATURE? AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD HERITAGE OF MT. KENYA Marlous van den Akker

3 2016, Marlous van den Akker No part of this dissertation may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission of the author. Cover photo: Mt. Kenya from Mukima, a housing estate just outside Nanyuki town Photo by Marlous van den Akker The research presented in this dissertation was financially supported by the Leiden Global Interactions Research Profile and the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at Leiden University.

4 MONUMENT OF NATURE? AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD HERITAGE OF MT. KENYA Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van Doctor aan de Universiteit Leiden, op gezag van Rector Magnificus prof.mr. C.J.J.M. Stolker, volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties te verdedigen op woensdag 25 mei 2016 klokke uur door Maria Louise van den Akker geboren te Gouda in 1983

5 Promotor: Prof.dr. P.J. Pels Promotiecommissie: Prof.dr. G.A. Persoon Prof.dr. L. Meskell Prof.dr. S. Legêne Stanford University VU University Amsterdam

6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Full page map of Mt. Kenya World Heritage Site Introduction Doing Ethnography on Mt. Kenya s World Heritage Status 1 I. The Rise of Heritage Conservation World Heritage in Historical Perspective 11 II. Becoming World Heritage The State Party Behind Mt. Kenya s 1997 World Heritage Listing 33 III. A Place of Nature Cultural and Political Histories Marginalized 67 IV. White Perils Racial Struggles over Land in Mt. Kenya s Shadow 93 V. Mt. Kenya World Heritage Site Revisited A Conservancy s Quest for Perpetual Safekeeping 124 Conclusion Monument of Nature? 153 Notes 162 References 167 Samenvatting 184 About the Author 189

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8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A great number of people inspired and contributed to this dissertation. To those whom are not listed below I emphasize that I have treasured each conversation, each debate, and each shared cup of coffee that came to pass in the course of this project. In the first place, I am indebted to the individuals who made my introduction to Kenya easier, and whose contacts and connections helped to smooth the first phase of this research. Among them have been Rachel Spronk, her Nairobian friend Janet and her family, Angela Kronenburg García, Adriaan Tas, Charles Nzioka, Eleanor Monbiot, and Paul Benson. I am particularly grateful to those who helped me gain access to Mt. Kenya s conservation scene and who, apart from sharing with me their own insights and points of view, aided me in building networks of informants. Thank you Susie Weeks, Humphrey Munene, Anthony King, Jonathan Moss and Robert Obrien. In alphabetical order, I thank George Abungu, Rashid Butt, Geoffrey Chege, Ian Craig, Martin Dyer, Michael Dyer, Flemming Dyhr, Amos Egal, Shawn Evans, Gideon Gathaara, Ramesh Gathogo, Simon Gitau, Max Graham, Tim Hobbs, Peter Howard, Danson Kamau, Mercy Kendi, Edwin Kinyanjui, Oliver Kinyua, Julius Kipng etich, Christian Lambrechts, Richard Leakey, Benson Lengalen, Dominic Maringa, James Mathenge, Gordon Murray, James Murray, Paul Muya, James Mwangi, John Mwangi, Margareth Mwangi, Robert Myall, Daniel Maina Ndoria, Solomon Maina Ndoria, Leo Niskanen, James Njogu, Karanja Njoroge, Maurice Nyaligu, Anthony Ochino, Mordecai Ogada, Charles Oluchina, Elizabeth Ouma, Edward Parfet, Deirdre Prins-Solani, John Sikote, Mark Simpkin, Malte Sommerlatte, Chris Thouless, Tom Traexler, Richard Vigne, Peter Viljoen, Ben Wandago, Hoseah Wanderi, Sammy Warigia, Satish Wason, Mike Watson, David Western, Charlie Wheeler, and Bongo Woodley. You, as well as others I have not mentioned by name, offered me your perspectives on Mt. Kenya s World Heritage status and took the time to share your knowledge and experiences with me. I am extremely appreciative of this. I think warmly of Leiden University s Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology. Over the years the institute has been a stimulating academic environment. In particular, I consider myself fortunate to have received the guidance of Peter Pels. His expertise, his

9 encouragement, and his inspiring and meticulous comments on my writings have been of inestimable value to me. I also cherish the solidarity and critical eye that fellow PhD candidates and other colleagues offered me. Thank you Erik Bähre, Andrea Cerda, Richard Fraser, Roos Gerritsen, Jan-Bart Gewald, Wendelmoet Hamelink, Zane Kripe, Sabine Luning, Carrie Nakamura, Maarten Onneweer, Khadija Outmany-Kadrouch, Christoph Rippe, and Annemarie Samuels. In addition, I am indebted to the Bayreuth Academy of Advanced African Studies that invited me for a guest fellowship in July 2014, during which I shared this project with a larger academic audience and received constructive feedback that enriched this work. I reserve special gratitude for Silvester Kimeli Choge and Joyce Gathigia. Your friendship has been, and continues to be, unprejudiced and unconditional. Your kindness and affection instilled this project with a lightness and optimism that I have not encountered before. Thank you. More than anyone, I owe Erik. You are my guest of honour.

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