S6:E9 A tool to decolonize the work... Mutanu Kyany'a, Director of Research & Programs, African Digital Heritage
Guest
Alex Costas
In conversation with
Hilary Knight
Hilary Knight speaks with Mutanu Kyany’a, Director of Research & Programs for African Digital Heritage about using technology to reclaim and preserve African histories – and why questions of consent, ownership, access, and power need to come before digitisation, especially in the age of AI.
Date of Recording
24 June 2026
Date of Publication
27 August 2026
[00:00:00]
Mutanu Kyany'a: I think it's very important, before any digitisation project, to first sit and think through why you're digitising, who you're digitising for, where they are, what platforms they're based on, so that your end output could serve the very people that you want to digitise for. And that, one, it could also be sustainable and be able to be accessed – not just for the communities and by the communities that you're digitising for now, but also for future generations.
[00:00:30]
THEME MUSIC
[00:00:35]
Hilary Knight: Hello, and welcome to The Three Bells. This podcast is one of a series brought to you by AEA Consulting for the Global Cultural Districts Network, in which we explore what's happening around the world at those busy intersections of cultural and urban life. Our series and supporting materials can be found at www.thethreebells.net. If you like our content, please subscribe and review us wherever you find your podcasts.
My name is Hilary Knight. I'm a senior associate with AEA Consulting, and my guest today is Mutanu Kyany’a. Mutanu is the Head of Programmes and Outreach at African Digital Heritage, a Nairobi-based nonprofit using technology to reclaim, restore, and decolonise African histories.
She is a digital society scholar with a background in computer science and a specialisation in digital cultures and community development. Mutanu is interested in the intersection and interaction of digital storytelling, cultural heritage, gender studies, and community participation. She works with African communities to identify how they can use technology to redocument and represent their culture and heritage, and use digital tools and frameworks to fill the gaps in African cultural knowledge. Hello, Mutanu. Welcome to The Three Bells.
[00:01:49]
Mutanu Kyany'a: Thanks, Hilary, for having me. I'm happy to be here.
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External Links
African Digital Heritage: https://africandigitalheritage.org/
Mutanu Kyany’a – African Digital Heritage: https://africandigitalheritage.org/mutanu-kyanya/
Skills for Culture: https://africandigitalheritage.org/skills-for-culture-strengthening-capacity-in-the-cultural-heritage-sector/
A Toolkit for Cultural Heritage Practitioners: https://africandigitalheritage.org/a-toolkit-for-cultural-heritage-practitioners/
WIPO – Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/traditional-knowledge
WIPO – Documentation of Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/traditional-knowledge/resources/tk-and-tces
About our Guest
Mutanu Kyany’a is a digital society scholar and cultural heritage practitioner at African Digital Heritage, a Nairobi-based nonprofit working at the intersection of culture and technology. With a background in computer science and a specialisation in digital cultures and community development, her work explores digital storytelling, cultural heritage, gender, and community participation. She works with communities across Africa and the African diaspora to use technology to preserve, reclaim, and represent their histories on their own terms. +
