Poland in Kenya

On November 16, 2022, in Fort Jesus in Mombasa, a plaque commemorating the arrival of Polish refugees to Africa in 1942 and Eustachy Sapieha, former Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1920-1921 and Polish Red Cross representative for East Africa during World War II, was unveiled. A temporary exhibition entitled "Poles in Africa 1942-1952", prepared by the Embassy on the basis of iconographic materials from the Center for Deportations, Expulsions and Resettlements of the Pedagogical University in Crakow was also opened.

Occasional speeches were delivered by Dr. Frederick Manthi and Mrs. Fatma Twahir from the National Museums of Kenya, Mrs. Maria Sapieha Beckmann - granddaughter of Eustachy Sapieha, representative of the Siberian Union Mrs. Danuta Sedlak, Plenipotentiary of the Prime Minister for the protection of memorial sites Mr. Wojciech Labuda and the Polish Ambassador to Kenya Mr. Jacek Bazański.

Kenyans were particularly interested in face-to-face talks and interviews with witnesses to history, i.e. Maria Sapieha and the Siberians. An important element of the ceremony was to highlight the common history of Poland with the countries of East Africa and the hospitality that was granted to Polish exiles during World War II and which they have so far remembered with emotion.

The history of Polish refugees in East Africa is still not very well known among Kenyan citizens, however, there is an increased interest among representatives of Kenya's National Museums, scientists, students and journalists.