Bank of America is splashing millions in honour of a Kenyan Hero in their latest project, targeting 13 countries across the world.

US's most prestigious bank is directing funds aimed at preserving art pieces collected by Kenya's former Vice-President Joseph Murumbi.

According to a statement released by the bank on Wednesday, August 18, Murumbi African Heritage Collection is one of 23 major cultural restoration projects that will be funded under America’s Art Conservation Project.

Nairobi National Museum

Murumbi African Heritage Collection will be part of the projects that will receive funds exceeding Ksh5.5 billion from the bank in 2021 aimed at preserving the pieces.

Artworks to be restored are a significant part of the Murumbi African Heritage Collection that were collected by Sheila and Joseph Murumbi that are now on display at the National Museum, Nairobi.

Murumbi who served as Minister of Foreign affairs from 1964 to 1966 before becoming the Vice President later in 1966 collected a number of pieces including art pieces, books, jewelry, weaponry, furniture documents among other items, but the bank resolved to invest in only three rare pieces.

The three works are an Ethiopian canvas painting of St. George slaying the dragon, a Sudanese painting on hide substrate by Salih Mashamoun, and a Yoruba beaded textile crocodile.

The three are pieces collected by the former Minister of Foreign affairs are in danger of deterioration being the only Pan-African collection in the Eastern African region and now they are preserved at the National Museum.

“With the 2021 selections, we have been able to fund the conservation of over 5,000 individual pieces of art through 195 projects in 36 countries since launching the programme in 2010,” said Rena DeSisto, global arts, and culture executive of Bank of America.

National Museums of Kenya (NMK), Purity Kiura speaking to the East African welcomed the move by the Bank of America to invest in the preservation of the art pieces.

“The Murumbi African Heritage Collection is unique in that it includes African textiles, jewelry, and ancient books that have gone out of print to artifacts collected from all over Africa. It is an extensive private collection of the late Joseph Murumbi, a retired politician who committed his life to the preservation of African Art,” said Kiura. 

The conservation process of each of the three pieces will be a joint venture between the National Museum of Kenya and conservators from the British Museum.

Murumbi in 1965, brought a Bill before parliament that set in motion the setting up the National Archive, currently the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service. It was established by an act of parliament, The Public Archives Act of 1965.

Murumbi resigned from his Vice President Post after serving for only 6 months, citing personal reasons. 

He abandoned politics for art, where he served as the first chairman of the Kenya Archives Service. He died in June 1990, leaving a heroic legacy.

Murumbi Memorial in Nairobi Named After Joseph Murumbi

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