The department of human anatomy of the University of Nairobi was started in 1967 with 35 students and 3 members of teaching staff. Teaching laboratories, lecture theatres and offices were completed and opened on March 4, 1968. The first complement of staff was joined by others mainly as the WHO aid to Kenya. From this humble beginning, the department now 45 years old teaches over 700 students distributed in 8 undergraduate and 9 postgraduate programs. It has despite enormous challenges retained the traditional dissection mode of instruction and blended it with ‘newer’ teaching methods. There are currently 17 members of teaching staff assisted by over 10 part-time demonstrators and 15 technologists. In the recent times, we have transformed research themes from animal and fossil based to patients, autopsy and cadaver material and restored active publication in applied anatomy and diverse clinical fields. This is happening at a time when most human anatomy departments are suffering major declines in time allocation, staffing levels and research output.