Schmidt, Ghering and Nicholas (2011) observed that universities create and receive large volumes of digital information which include institutional records, research content including theses and dissertations, research publications, teaching content, among others. Studies undertaken in Africa paint a picture of poor RM practices throughout government-owned organizations including universities (Mnjama 2003, Kemoni 2007; Moloi and Mutula 2007; Thurston 2005). Katuu (2009) lamented that while records professionals in the West tackle the problems introduced by digital media, Africa is still battling with streamlining paper recordkeeping systems in organizations. Kenya is no exception as public sector organizations including universities are struggling with problems emanating from poor recordkeeping in manual and electronic environments as illuminated by Musembe (2015), Erima (2013), Nasieku (2010), Kemoni (2007), Mnjama (2003), Kemoni and Wamukoya (2000) and Githaka (1996)).
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Cain et al. (2001) noted that although the limelight has shifted from manual to digital records, archivists and other records professionals must acknowledge the fact that they are working in a hybrid environment where paper and digital records are generated simultaneously. Archivists must face up to the challenge of managing archives in a mixed environment where they are required to preserve analogue material alongside their electronic counterparts. A lot has to be done in streamlining paper-based records management systems in the country as a preliminary step to digital archiving endeavours.
The concept of electronic governance (e-governance) has gained recognition as a good governance model for realizing democracy, transparency and accountability in the governance process by governments. Continued expansion of ICT-enabled services is being witnessed in public organizations and institutions in Kenya following flagging off of the Kenya Open Data Initiative (KODI) in July 2011 by the immediate former President, Mwai Kibaki (Majeed 2012). The initiative was aimed at empowering citizens by enabling them to access data on the country’s progress and development agenda, to enable them take part in the country’s development initiatives. As part of this project, public organizations were directed to automate their information systems. Government-owned organizations including public universities embraced computerized systems for example payroll systems, Integrated Financial Management Information systems (IFMIS), Management Information Systems (MIS), amongst others, resulting in the proliferation of electronic records. This became a wake-up call for recordkeeping professionals to manage the myriad of digital records created daily, not just for current business needs, but also for posterity.
The starting point for successful digital records management in an organization is an efficient and effective paper records system. Garaba (2010) supported the views of Katuu (2009) and Ramatlhakwana (2009) who argued that the management of paper records in the African region should be prioritized and measures put in place to curb the risk of losing electronic memory. In Kenya, the problem is that public universities (with the exception of the University of Nairobi) lack formal and comprehensive digital records and archives management programmes or set of guidelines. Intentional digital archiving strategies are necessary from the initial stages of records creation or
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receipt in order to respond to the increase in digital content, especially in technology- dependent formats.
Barata (2004) cautioned that in the light of modern technologies where digital records are in danger of destruction due to lack of planning, it is important that archivists should be actively involved throughout the records lifecycle. A successful archive management programme requires involvement of archivists in the life of records right from their creation (receipt) to their ultimate disposal. This responsibility demands that archivists must possess appropriate skills and competencies in order to meet their obligations towards digital archives. Kamatula (2010) noted that many archivists lack know-how to adequately address issues related to the management of digital records as opposed to traditional paper records management.
Various studies previously undertaken revealed a state of deficiency for digital records management in Africa (Chikomba, Rodrigues and Ngoepe 2020; Ngoepe 2018; Ambira 2016; Ngoepe and Saurombe 2016; Maseh 2015; Mulaudzi et al. 2012;
Asogwa 2012; Munetsi 2011). Kalusopa (2011:117) highlighted that most ESARBICA countries have made progress in developing and implementing records management programmes, but strategies to manage digital records or carry out systematic e-records assessments remain obscure. The existing scenario calls for self- assessment by organizations to determine their individual levels of preparedness for digital recordkeeping. Responding to the prevailing situation, International Records Management Trust (IRMT) (2004) advised on the need to carry out assessments of key areas of digital records preparedness viz-a-viz important aspects of governance in governments and organizations, to find out whether or not the infrastructure for digital records management is supportive of e-governance initiatives. Various studies have since been carried out to assess electronic records management readiness in organizations. For example, Koopmang and De Jager (2016) undertook a study to specifically assess digital archiving readiness for research data in South Africa. In Kenya, Odhiambo (2018) also carried out a study to assess digital archiving readiness of United States International University - Africa. Further research should be undertaken to provide a holistic picture of the digital archiving infrastructure in Kenyan public universities and determine their digital archiving readiness.
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Barata (2004) pointed out that active involvement in records management means that an archival repository collaborates with the records management unit in the organization, or that the archive takes responsibility for records management in the organization. A university archive should exist to identify records in all formats throughout the organization, give policy guidance on their management and ensure their usability for research purposes. Perrin, Winkler and Yang (2015) warned that digital records face dangers which may seem theoretical and part of risk assessment matrices, but which become a reality when an organization loses important data files.
Notably, many public universities in Kenya do not have stand-alone institutional Archives responsible for the identification, acquisition, preservation and provision of access to archives.
Many organizations are unable to maintain accurate, authentic and meaningful records of their activities. Digital records are especially vulnerable in this aspect, posing a challenge to their usability. Authenticity Task Force (2002) strongly emphasizes the importance of maintaining authenticity with digital records so that they can be proven to be what they purport to be and that they are complete and unaltered or corrupted.
The only way to ensure the authenticity of digital records is by having a digital preservation regime in place. Ross (2012) affirmed that digital preservation concerns maintaining the semantic meaning of the digital object and its content, its provenance and authenticity, retaining its interrelatedness, and securing contextual information of its creation and use. Metadata initiatives are a crucial element in preservation of information materials, especially for digital records. Few universities in Kenya, especially public universities, have records preservation programmes, least of all digital records preservation programmes.
Another important issue in managing digital records is to develop and implement legislative and regulatory framework for recordkeeping (Asogwa 2012). Ngoepe and Saurombe (2016) pointed out that records and archives legislations in many countries are inadequate and do not address records generated in digital environments. Mnjama (2003) gave a snapshot of the shortcomings of the Kenya Public Archives and Documentation Service Act, Cap 19 (1965) and its ensuing amendments. To date, Kenya has covered ground in development of records-related legislation. The Evidence Law Cap 80 was revised in 2009 to allow use of digital records in a court of
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law as evidence. However, this is not enough as there is need to address the issue of archival legislation in the present era of digital archives. Gilliland-Swetland (2000) cautioned that even as archival institutions provide access to records, they must take into cognisance legal issues that are more pronounced in an electronic environment.
These include conditions under which certain types of materials can be accessed and made available, privacy of individuals mentioned in materials, protection of the integrity of digital materials from accidental or deliberate tampering and intellectual property. Archival institutions must be awake to these legal requirements that regulate the access domain. Few studies have been carried out in Africa to examine the role of records and archives legislation in organizations (Netshakhuma 2019; Dwoya 2014;
Hamooya, Mulauzi and Njobvu 2011). None of these studies has holistically examined legal and regulatory framework for digital archives in public universities.
Literature reveals that public universities in Kenya with the exception of University of Nairobi, lack legal and regulatory framework to govern the management of digital records and archives.
The present study was conceived in 2017 when the researcher took part in a two-week international training in the management of Sound and Image Archives (SOIMA) at the University of Accra, Ghana from 9 to 23 July 2017. The training was jointly organized by The International Centre for the study of the preservation and restoration of cultural property, Rome and Institute of African studies at the University of Ghana.
A key emerging issue during the training was the importance of adopting sustainable strategies to ensure long-term access for digital records. This inevitably raised concerns over the digital formats that eventually gain entrance into archival repositories. The focus of this research study is therefore to determine what is happening in public universities in Kenya as regards digital archiving and to develop and propose a common framework that can be adopted by these institutions to support long term custody of digital archives.