Mnjama, Nathan Mwakoshi; (1994) Railway records: Their management and exploitation in Kenya. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

This study is a critical examination of records management at the Kenya Railways Corporation and its predecessor organisations - the Kenya and Uganda Railways, the Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours, the East African Railways and Harbours Corporation and the East African Railways Corporation. It examines the techniques, procedures, facilities and staff available for the management of records and considers the requirements for their creation, retention, storage, retrieval, preservation and final disposition. It demonstrates that during the colonial period, attempts to develop a records management programme were hampered by the lack of a strong national archives service to oversee records management practices. The study goes on to discuss the role of records management within the context of administrative reform programmes taking place at the Kenya Railways Corporation. It demonstrates that the success of the administrative reform programme to a large extent depends on a records management policy and programme to enhance standardisation in the handling, storage and retrieval of information. It stresses the need to develop records management policies and procedures to underpin administrative reform programmes. The need to comply with legal requirements and considerations is emphasised, particularly in relation to records retention and disposal. Other recommendations are the need to employ records administrators and records managers to handle the Corporation's records and the establishment of a centralised storage facility to provide security, accessibility and economical storage for inactive records. Finally the role of the Kenya National Archives and Documentation in the management of public records is analyzed and recommendations made for future improvements.

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