David, Cat & Hat

British Colonialism
David
Per 4

Kenya’s location on the east coast of Africa made it a little too convenient for colonists to ignore. First Portuguese, then the British colonialism of Kenya caused Kenyans a lot of suffering and it was only after the loss of the lives of many people that Kenya was able to become independent. Kenya was colonized for the ideas of Europeans, changed by their rule, and their independence was only gained back with a lot of fighting.
Like many African nations, Kenya was colonized because Europeans wanted to trade (gold), they wanted to spread their religion (god), and they wanted more political power (glory). Starting in 1498, Vasco da Gama came to Kenya and that was the beginning of Kenya being a Portuguese Colony. It worked for 200 years until diseases like malaria and the bubonic plague came and caused the mines to be unproductive. Next the native Swahilis came with the Omans and Arabs to help get them out, then the Omani Arabs took over, and eventually handed Kenya over to the British in 1832. (Murray )
The British came in because of their desire to spread their religion and they thought that it was their God-given right, since the people there were uncivilized and they thought they were fulfilling a prophecy. Nobody asked the Kenyans if they agreed. Another reason why the Europeans came in was because they wanted to modernize the Kenyans agriculture and wanted to use it as a trading post. The Europeans also wanted to come into Kenya so that they could expand and increase their political power. Once the Europeans colonized Kenya they changed many things for the Kenyans, but not necessarily for the better. (McNair 47)
When the British were in Kenya, they did many things. One thing that they did was to make the Lunatic Express. This was a train that ran from Mombasa to Kimmumu. Some people didn’t like the idea since while they were working it would be very hot near the coast, heavy rain would wash away embankments, it would be very cold in the mountains, and many people would die of malaria. Even though they knew all of these things would happen, work began in 1896. Five years later it was all done and even though so many people died, there were a few good things that came out in the end. For example, Nairobi had been very small and by 1907 it grew and became the capital of Kenya. Also, when they were building the railroad the British found vast fertile land that was sparsely populated. (McNair 48-49)
The whites moved in and established farms and then large areas became known as the white highlands. Then in 1915 the British passed the Crown Lands Ordinance that said that the whites could legally own the land and all Africans had to stay in native reservations. Although Nairobi grew and farms were developed the Kenyan people did not benefit since they were moved onto worthless land. (McNair 50)
The British also changed Kenya by forcing a tax onto them since before the Kenyans could just live off the land and they had no use for money. Settlers wanted workers but they were hard to recruit since the Kenyans had no need to do anything for them. Once the money system was forced on them the British also encouraged Asian traders to sell things like beads, cloth, and blankets. The young men soon found out that it was necessary to leave their farms for search of employment and money became part of the Kenyan economy. (McNair 50)
With problems like no land, high taxes, low wages, and laws requiring all Kenyans to carry identification, the group of Kenyans called the Kikuyu tried to start organizing. The Kenyans started to move towards independence by making groups like the Kenyan African Union (KAU) and the Kikuyu Central Association (KCA) with leaders like Jomo Kenyatta and Eliud Mathu. Although the Kikuyu leaders tried to get independence nonviolently, it is not surprising that the more radical leaders turned to violence. The group called the Mau Maus that branched off of the Kikuyus tried to be nonviolent at first but then later became a violent terrorist group. When the British found out about the Mau Maus they started a state of emergency that lasted for five years. Soon after the Mau Maus fled into the forests on Mount Kenya. Jomo Keyatta and many KAU members were arrested and put into concentration camps. When the British found out about where the Mau Maus were, British bombers killed thousands of Mau Mau members. (Ellis 911)
As the Kenyan people suffered the world’s opinion changed about the colonies in Africa. Eventually the KAU became a political party. Jomo Kenyatta was elected president and released from prison. Finally in 1963 Kenya became an independent nation. (Ellis 911)
When Jomo Kenyatta was elected president it turned out that he was a good leader. He was a good leader because of how he kept everyone equal at the same time he kept traditions going while modernizing Kenya. He allowed the whites to stay so that they could help Kenya survive and keep the economy going. Jomo Kenyatta also led the nation towards becoming democratic by allowing free press, public schools, and public health services. In 1978 Jomo Kenyatta died and vice president Daniel Arap Moi became president. He made the slogan, nyayo, which meant, “follow in his (Jomo Kenyatta’s) footsteps.” (McNair 60) Daniel Arap Moi kept the democratic government stable and it turned out that the Kenyans made a good decision about their government. (Ellis 912)
In conclusion, it turned out that in the end Kenya’s location wasn’t quite convenient enough for the British to keep control of forever. Gold God and Glory for the British were not the goals of the Kenyan people. The Kenyans organized and were in the end able to regain their independence, though it took many lives and years to be accomplished.