Cecilia is a Collections Manager in the Archaeology section of the National Museum of Kenya (NMK) in Nairobi. She has worked as part of the WTAP since 2014.
In the almost 20 years Cecilia has worked at the NMK, she has been part of innumerable field projects throughout Kenya, including in Western Kenya at the proposed World Heritage site of Thimlich Ohinga; at several Iron Age sites in Central Kenya, and in oil exploration, pipeline and renewable power projects such as the Lake Turkana Windpower Project (LTWP). In these positions as well as with the WTAP, Cecilia is not only an integral part of the survey and excavation team, but tasked with acting as a community liaison between researchers and local communities. In addition, Cecilia has been involved in notable permanent and temporary exhibitions at the NMK, including the recent showcase of ‘Pots and Identities’.
In her own words
What do you like about being in the field in Turkana?
“I love learning new things, and being a part of new discoveries. I also really enjoy interacting with people from different backgrounds and from all over Kenya and across the world. It’s a privilege to be able to ask so many scientific questions about the archaeology that we encounter.”What do you miss when you are in the field?
“I miss taking care of my poultry and my cat and dog. I also miss my family because the network challenges in Turkana mean we don’t get to talk more than once a week. Not forgetting of course I miss my favourite dish of ugali with spinach and ‘managu’ (in my local kikuyu dialect)!”
Cecilia can be contacted through the National Museums of Kenya.
West Turkana Archaeological Project 