Kitale Museum

Western Kenya


Founded on the collection of butterflies, birds and ethnographic memorabilia left to the nation in 1967 by the late Lieutenant Colonel Stoneham, this museum has an interesting range of ethnographic displays of the Pokot, Akamba, Marakwet and Turkana peoples. There are also any number of stuffed dead things shot by various colonial types, including a hedgehog and a cheetah with a lopsided face.

The outdoor exhibits include some traditional tribal homesteads and a collection of snakes, tortoises and crocodiles, plus an interesting ‘Hutchinson Biogas Unit’.

If big cats with funny heads don't do it for you, the small nature trail that leads through some not-quite-virgin rainforest at the back of the museum will surely please you. It's a good place for birdwatching and their are lots of colobus monkeys.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Western Kenya attractions

1. Treasures of Africa Museum

0.36 MILES

This private museum is the personal collection of Mr Wilson, a former colonial officer in Uganda and quite a character. Based mainly on his experiences…

2. Kitale Nature Conservancy

3.77 MILES

This place looks as if it was designed by Frankenstein after he converted to Christianity and dropped acid. Though you could come here for the picnic…

3. Saiwa Swamp National Park

16.71 MILES

North of Kitale, the small, rarely visited Saiwa Swamp National Park is a real treat – as long as you're not here for the Big Five, this is a chance to…

4. Mt Elgon National Park

18.35 MILES

Straddling the Ugandan border and peaking with Koitoboss (4187m), Kenya’s second-highest peak, and Uganda’s Wagagai (4321m), the slopes of Mt Elgon are a…