The building that houses Lamu's German Post Office Museum was painstakingly restored with assistance from the German Embassy in Kenya, and was officially opened in December 1996. Built at the beginning of the 19th century as a private residence, it was later converted and used as the first German Post Office in East Africa, albeit briefly, from 1888 to 1891 during the time when Witu – on the mainland south of Lamu – was a German Protectorate. This was also a period when Lamu was a major sea port attracting trade from not only the Near and Far East but from Europe, including Germany. This newest museum in Kenya shows the long historical contacts between Germany and Kenya, and is unique in depicting early industrial development in Kenya in the form of communication through postal services. It is also very important, not least because it sheds light on a little known period in Kenyan history, yet one with great significant.
Visitors are welcome to the museum daily from 8am to 6pm. Admission is KSh100/200 for a non-resident child/adult, and KSh20/50 for a resident child/adult. A museum attendant is always available onsite.
Location
German Post Office Museum is located off Harambee Avenue in Lamu old town.
Historical Background
German nationals Clement Denhardt and G. A. Fisher first made contact with the Lamu hinterland in the late 1870s. They soon struck a friendship with Ahmed Abdullah Simba, the Sultan of Witu, who at the time was having problems with the rulers of Lamu and Zanzibar and so welcomed a new ally. Shortly afterwards, Witu became a German protectorate.
This building was the first German Post Office ever established along the East African coast. The post office was established on November 22nd 1888 by the Germans, led by Clement Denhardt. The communications and trade contacts for the German Protectorate in Witu could at the time be served through Lamu, a well-established town with links to the outside world.
The Post office operated for more than two years before its closure on March 3rd 1891 after the withdrawal of the German settlement in Witu.