Dr. Purity Kiura is currently a Chief Research Scientist in archaeology and heritage. She is a former Director of Antiquities, Sites and Monuments (2014- 2021) at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK). Her academic records include an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Geology at the University of Nairobi (1997), a graduate in Masters of Arts (2002) and Doctorate Degree in Anthropology specializing in Archaeology (2006) from Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA.
In her capacity as a senior administrator at NMK, in the Directorate of Antiquities, Sites and Monuments between 2014-2021, she was in charge of the day-to-day operations, personnel, and management of the directorate and reported directly to the Director General. Her responsibilities included the overall management and conservation of all the cultural and natural heritage resources within Kenya. This included overseeing the surveying, mapping and gazzettment of these sites, development of exhibitions, and directing and producing educational and public programs in all the museums in Kenya. She was also responsible of all the revenue streams, budgeting, and monitoring within the museum’s public spaces. Moreover, she was responsible for fostering partnerships and collaborations as well as ensuring good relations within and outside Kenya. She oversaw the continued achievement of the institution through international conventions in matters of heritage, particularly those that Kenya has signed with UNESCO.
As a Senior Research Scientist in the Archaeology Section, Dr. Kiura’s research interests and ongoing works include projects in the study of human origins, the evolution of technology as well as human subsistence and settlement patterns. In addition, she has continued to conduct research in the study of modern peoples and their usage of the landscapes and environments in East Africa.