The roles of parties in attaining Kenya'sindependence.

  • A number of pre-independence panics were formed in Kenya but the roles played by the KAU and KANU tow higher.
  • The KAU-Kenya African Union was formed in 1944 by Eliud Mathu together with James Gichuru . That same year, Eluid Mathu was appointed as Kenya's first African representative to the colonial legislative council.
  • The KAU naturally emerged from the earlier quasi-political associations such as the Kikuyu Central Association. Consequently, it was dominated by the Kikuyu.
  • The Kenya African Union was dominated by the elites most of whom were unemployed as a result of discrimination by whites. So, it de-campaigned colour bar.
  • The KAU also called for land, political and constitutional reforms in Kenya-
  • The KAU leaders made an attempt to recruit members from other tribes in an attempt to make it a mass nationalist party. Some members of other tribes joined and were even appointed to lop offices e.g Achieng Oneko and Ambrose Ofafa from Nyanza , Paul Ngei from Ukambani and Tom Mbotela from the coast.
  • An attempt was also made to open up KAU branches in Kisumu and other areas so as to attract wide membership.
  • The KAU preferred the use of non-violent methods to achieve independence. It wanted land, political and constitutional reforms.
  • KAU worked hand in hand with independent church and school movements to spread nationalistic zeal. It also worked in close co-operation with Trade Unionists.
  • When Kenyatta returned from England in 1946, he joined the KAU and soon became its president. But him too was moderate.
  • In the mid 1940s, the youths and ex-service men felt dissatisfied with KAU's constitutional methods and split off from the KAU. They formed the fourty group and threatened to use violence to attain independence.
  • Soon, the forty group formed the Kenya Land and freedom army which formed the core of the Mau Mau rebellion.
  • KAU maintained remote contacts with the Mau Mau and this led to the arrest and detention of KAU leaders including the moderate Jomo Kenyatta. He wasn't released until 1961
  • KAU was banned in 1953, never to rise again . New political parties and trade Unions took over from where the KAU had stopped. Among the new parties, KANU was the most prominent
  • The KANU was formed in July 1960 by African Members of the Legislative council. It was a party mainly for the Kikuyu and Luo but included a number of Meru, Embu, Akamba and Kissi. Its leaders were James Gichuru, Tom Mboya and Oginga Odinga.
  • The KANU campaigned widely for support in urban and rural areas.
  • A rival party- the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU) was formed in I960 for fear of a possible Kikuyu-Luo alliance. It was under the leadership of Ngala deputised by Muliro, However, the KANU remained more popular.
  • General elections to the Legislative Assembly brought the KANU as winner. However the party refused to make a government when Kenyatta was still in prison. The government was instead formed by the KADU in coalition with the KNP of Blundell.
  • In 1961, Kenyatta was released and James Gichuru stood down for him as president of KANU . He dedicated his energy and time to uniting the KANU and KADU and partially succeeded when the two formed a coalition government in 1962.
  • In 1962, KANU sent delegates to attend the 2nd Lancaster House conference at London.
  • The May 1963 elections brought out the KANU as victorious over KADU with 83 seats versus 41. Hence on 1st June , in internal self government was formed by KANU with Kenyatta as Prime Minister and on 13 December 1963 full independence was granted to Kenya.
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National Movements and New States in Africa