The Coming of White Settlers to Kenya 1896-1923

Kenya became a British colony in 1895. In 1896 white settlers began arriving in Kenya.

Sir Eliot Charles encouraged white settlers to come to Kenya. White settlers were British citizens who came from South Africa, Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.

They came to Kenya after the building of the Uganda railway. Some came as soldiers during world war one.

Settlers also were traders who had come to expand their commerce in East Africa.

White settlers were welcomed by Sir Eliot Charles the then British commissioner in Kenya between 1900-1904.

Settlers were British citizens who occupied the Kikuyu highlands. Settlers were British citizens who were greatly influenced by Lord Delamere as their leader.

Settlers were people who helped in the development of the British colonial administration in Kenya

The Uganda railway was at last open. The era of the great explorations was left behind and it was now possible to breathe the Highlands' air travelling from Mombasa in just one day, comfortably seated and avoiding the plentiful calamities suffered by the ancient adventurers.

Africa offered herself to whoever wished to start all over in the Garden of Eden. The issue was then how to attract enough settlers to generate a volume of goods to make the costly railline profitable.

However, the Garden of Eden was not made for all. The lack of development and infrastructures in these early days meant accepting the life of a pioneer, with scarce comforts, hard work, and health risks and starting from scratch.

Agriculture destined for exports was envisioned as the only feasible activity in the Highlands, fertile but lacking great mineral beds or natural resources, where the internal market was still fairly undeveloped.

Settlers started to populate the country in 1902, coming mostly from Great Britain, but also from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In many cases they were sons of the English aristocracy in search of the romantic African dream, of live to hunt and hunt to live.

Others wished to settle down, take roots and find fortune in that virgin country. Soon the first farms appeared on the lands traditionally belonging to the native people, partly unpopulated due to tribal warfare and nomad pastoralism. Land was offered at very low prices, with the only requisite of culturing 16 acres each year.

One of the most famous settlers in those early days was Hugh Choldmondley, third baron of Delamere, better known as Lord Delamere (1870-1931).

Model of English aristocracy, bon vivant and adventurer, Delamere liked traveling to Somalia for lion hunting. In one of those expeditions he reached the Kenyan Highlands and had a crush on them, deciding to settle there. He bought a farm near Nakuru in 1903 and devoted himself to livestock and to the culture of European species, in which he was initially unsuccessful, spending in his Kenyan estate all the returns generated by his properties in England.

As years passed by, Delamere purchased more lands, reaching a profitable situation. His passionate spirit gave him the leadership of settlers, whose association he presided from 1904 and whom he represented since the constitution of the first Legislative Council of British East Africa in 1907.

Delamere left an important heritage, adapted several crops to the local conditions and boosted agricultural development in the Highlands in a decisive way. But he was also a convinced racist, an admirer of Cecil Rhodes and of the apartheid system. As Elspeth Huxley narrated, his dream was to make of Kenya "the white man's country", a place similar to New Zealand. Today, his name survives at the Norfolk Hotel's bar, in Nairobi.

In 1905, the British East Africa Protectorate acquired the status of Colony. England attempted to set up a system of local administration controlled by the colonial government, but thesettlers, headed by Delamere, flatly refused.

The first governor had to movethrough swampy grounds, brutally repressing the uprisings of the natives whose lands had been invaded, but simultaneously calming down the settlers' land hunger, since the number of farmers increased steadily as Delamere's success spread among European circles. Nairobi was much like the old Far West cities, wild, free and promiscuous, a place where life was risked everyday.

The initial flow of immigrants was not very intense. In 1912 the number of settlers was still some 3,000. Nonetheless, the new dwellers needed land, and Nairobi was located on the border between theland of the Masai pastoralists and the farming grounds of the Kikuyus.

Fearingthe reaction from the warring Masais, the government signed an agreement with chief Lenana in 1911, by virtue of which the Masais accepted selling their traditional pasture lands and moving southwards to less fertile territories, the region they inhabit today.

Farms also required manpower, but natives were not accustomed to work by the day, so settlers pressed the administrators to enact laws enforcing hard labour and taxes that obliged the natives to cultivate the whites' lands.

From the start, settlers made their best to create a social structure based on racial discrimination. Whites dominated administration, economy, production and trade, sheltering them in exclusive clubs where blacks were denied access.

Later on natives were confined in reserves, from where exiting required a pass approved by thecolonial rulers.

Europeans thrived and Africans became more and more impoverished. The unfair conditions started to breed a feeling of resentment among the Kikuyus, who became the most harmed by the colony's status quo.

Those were the years of the first violent reactions from the Kikuyus, which were brutally repressed by the English officer Richard Meinertzhagen in command of his company of the Third Regiment of King's African Rifles, a military force created to protect the settlers.

Meinertzhagen sadly stood out for his bloody actions against the Kikuyus and other local tribes.

In 1905, the officer was commissioned to pacify the Nandis, who had set up a powerful guerrilla that opposed the whites' invasion since the early railway times.

Meinertzhagen quickly crushed the revolt: he appointed a peace meeting with Koitalel, the Nandi chief, and murdered him without ceremony. <

Figures such as Ernest Hemingway, Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt or the then Prince of Wales and to-be king Edward VIII of England, had the chance to feel a beautiful, cruel, strange and unfair Garden of Eden that, good or bad, died devoured by the 20th century when it was already rolling out for decades in Europe.

In 1913, a Danish woman settled in the Highlands and purchased a farm at the foot of Ngong Hills. Her name was Karen Christence Dinesen, baroness consort Blixen-Finecke (1885-1962), and under the pen name of Isak Dinesen published perhaps the most beautiful book ever written about Africa. A sublime writer and an abominable farmer, she lived free and was more wretched than happy, failed in business and love, suffered the Nazi occupation in Denmark and died out of Africa. Her life was a perfect symbol of Africa's spell and hope.

That very year, war in Europe broke out. The adjoining colonies of England and Germany in Africa could not remain detached from this situation. British East Africa only had three companies of the Third Regiment of King's African Rifles, while Tanganyika possessed a real army, small but trained, commanded by colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck (1870-1964), who met Karen Blixen when both were travelling to Mombasa in the same ship.

In November 1914 England arranged a landing in Tanga, in Tanganyika's coast, commanded by General Edward Aitken. The operation failed and von Lettow managed to save the colony temporarily, but in 1916 the German Empire in Africa was virtually dismantled and the allies focused on throwing them away from Tanganyika, their last African possession.

Commanded by South African general Jan Christian Smuts, the allies' combined forces succeeded in conquering Tanganyika, but Lettow was never defeated.

 

He kept hidden and practiced guerrilla warfare with a small contingent of men against the vast Smut's army. He never lost a single battle and only handed over his weapons upon knowing about the German rendition in Europe. So high was his sense of honour and his chivalry in combat that, at the end of his life, when he was ruined for his opposition to Hitler, his old opponent Smuts requested for him a British military pension.

The end of the European war imposed some changes in the remote African lands. By virtue of the Versailles Treaty, signed on the 28th of June 1919, Germany handed over all its colonies, and Tanganyika fell under British control. After the conflict, a British government's program designed to stimulate the settling of veterans in East Africa multiplied the number of settlers that at the end of the Great War were well over 10,000.

 Why Kenya developed as a Settler Colony

In the first place the whites came with purpose of opening up the serious businesses as traders. Secondly, unemployment in Europe brought many settlers to Kenya. Thirdly, they were brought to exploit resources like land and minerals in Kenya. Fourthly, availability of a conducive climate in Kenya favoured white settlement. Fifth factor was Kenya had fertile soil for farming which attracted white settlers.

Furthermore, the completion of the Uganda railway to Kisumu in 1901 brought the settlers to Kenya. Whites also came to experiment plantation farming. The encouragement given to them by Sir Eliot Charles. Also the British government at home gave loans to settlers to come to Kenya as farmers. The colonial government in Kenya had obtained land for the settlers. The success of the British indirect rule in Kenya reduced fear of resistance and encouraged settlers to come to Kenya. The closure of the British markets in Canada and America after the American war of independence forced the British traders to think of where to settle next hence their coming to Kenya.

Shortage of land, raw materials in South Africa brought the settlers to Kenya.

Britain wanted the settlers to help her to establish a strong administration in Kenya. Settlers had been assured of free labour in Kenya from the Africans.

Other factors were that some settlers came as missionaries (preachers). Others came because of the love for adventure. In Kenya, Europeans were allowed to grab land from Africans. Kenya was strategically located near the sea hence easy access to Europe. In Kenya land was sold, so the settlers hoped to buy their own land. There was an acute need to settle ex-service men after world war one. The second Anglo-Boer war 1899-1902 caused political uncertainty in South Africa, which forced the whites to come to Kenya. The discovery of minerals in South Africa in 1867 and 1886 forced Europeans who were already in Kenya to make Kenya their settler colony because they hoped to find minerals in Kenya.

The arrival of Lord Delamere and E.S Grogan who were determined and proud, encouraged settlers to come to Kenya.

The appointment of Sir Edward Hayes Sadler made it clear that settlers' interests were paramount (important) in Kenya.

The appointment of Sir Edward Northey as a governor in Kenya 1905 increased settlers' interests in Kenya because he (Edward Northey) promised to protect the settlers' interests. The formation of the colonists association in 1902 helped the whites to demand more land for settlement. The land ordinance (law) of 1902 in which land was sold to settlers encouraged settler farming in  Kenya.  The transfer of the administrative capital from Mombasa to Nairobi in 1907 encouraged the whites to establish settler homes and farms.

 Why Uganda did not develop as a settler colony

In 1894 Uganda became a British protectorate and it was to develop as a peasant economy. Lack of enough land for white settlers in Uganda.

The Buganda agreement limited Uganda's land i.e. divided it up and nothing remained free. Uganda was extensively explored and the explorers reported Uganda as an unfavourable territory for the settlers.

The fear of conflicts from other European powers who wanted a share in Uganda because of the Source of the Nile,

Labour shortage existed in Uganda since Ugandans were small-scale cotton farmers. Colonial rulers wanted to develop Uganda as a Black man's country.

The missionaries supported Uganda to become a Black man's country.  

Uganda's lack of access to the coast (it was a landlocked country).

Poor transport and communication in the interior discouraged settlers.

The cash crops chosen for Uganda failed e.g. Arabica coffee, Cocoa, rubber etc.

Governor Hesketh Bell restricted the selling of land to Europeans in Uganda.

The Devonshire white paper 1923 legalised only Kenya as a white settlers colony.

Areas that were suitable for white settlers in Uganda were too remote e.g. Kigezi, Mountain Elgon.

The economic recession or depression of 1920-1930s discourage settler farming in Uganda.

Lack of influential leaders or settlers e.g. Lord Delamare who could have pressurized the government for land.

Uganda's climate was not suitable as that of Kikuyu highlands.

Simpson the director of agriculture advised the British government to develop Uganda as a peasant economy.

The topographical nature of Uganda could not favour mechanised farming e.g. in Kigezi, Toro etc. The British interests in Uganda were directed to exploitation of minerals e.g, Copper in Kilembe. The colonial government in Uganda had few scattered plots of land after 1900.  A few settlers who were interested in Uganda were mainly traders not farmers.

 Problems faced by the White Settlers in Kenya

There was limited land as much of the country was barren or unproductive.     

Profitable farming was only possible in Kikuyu highlands and not anywhere else. Many settlers were poor and hence lacked funds to employ labour.

Settlers took long to discover the right crops to grow and experiments proved to be costly. Settlers who started small-scale farming were frustrated by poor profits. Competition from abroad made crop farming less profitable.

There were high export taxes for the agricultural produce and these frustrated farmers.

Due to mineral deficiency, the soils became poor and hence disrupted sheep rearing. Stock rearing also failed because of the problem of East coast fever. (Animal disease). The hostile Nandi and Masai also interfered with cattle farming i.e. they raided them.

 

Effects of the coming of the White Settlers to Kenya (East Africa)

The white settler economy (farming) had both positive and negative effects in Kenya and East Africa.

It led to loss of land among the Kikuyu and their neighbours.

Africans were forced to supply labour to settler plantations.

Taxation was made compulsory to all Africans.

More goods from Europe reached East Africa.

Export commerce for agricultural products increased as their production increased.

New methods of farming were introduced e,g. contour ploughing, terracing, crop rotation etc.

New crops were introduced e.g. tea, cocoa, rubber, wheat etc. More roads and rail outlets were constructed to boost agriculture. Telegraph lines and postal services were established to improve communication.

It led to the growth of modern urban centres or towns. Schools and hospitals were established for the children of the settlers.

Other effects were East Africa was linked to western capitalism.

It attracted the coming of more Indians and Asians to East Africa as traders.

Racial discrimination in towns, schools and hospitals started between whites, Asians and Blacks.

The Devonshire white paper 1923 was signed to end these racial conflicts.  

The white settlers demanded for independence from British imperial government.

African nationalism developed. The Kikuyu formed a party called the Kikuyu African Association to demand for their independence.

Later Africans fought the Mau Mau rebellion against settlers in Kenya.

There was a lot of misery and suffering for Africans who lost land and became landless.

The settlers delayed independence struggle in Kenya because they never wanted it.

It influenced the spread of Christianity since majority ot the settlers were Christians.

African cultures got lost (eroded) as the settlers introduced new fashions, habits and styles.

It stimulated industrialisation; processing industries were opened to reduce the bulk agricultural produce e.g., brook bond tea industry and Delamere Unga industry.

Kenya developed economically and socially at a faster rate compared to Uganda and Tanganyika. Trade unions were formed to demand for better wages and better working conditions.

Large scale (plantation) farming was opened e.g. at Kericho tea estate, Kiambu coffee and tea plantation

DEVONSHIRE WHITE PAPER

This was a document of government policy that was issued in March 1923 during a conference held in London by the colonial secretary called the Duke of Devonshire.  It set out the intentions of the government and attitude towards the three racial groups in Kenya namely Europeans, Asians, and Africans.

Asian and European communities were at their peak of rivalry when the conference was organised.  The rivalry was over land and political representation.  Sir Robert Croydon was sent by the British colonial government in September 1922 as a new governor to Kenya.  His aim was to strike an understanding between the two conflicting communities but without success.

This prompted the colonial secretary to summon the conflicting parties to a conference.  It was even named after him.  After intensive investigations, the colonial secretary issued his findings in the Devonshire white paper. This eventually became one of the most significant documents in the constitutional and political development of Kenya.

BACKGROUND TO THE WHITE PAPER.

Asians began to trade in Kenya especially after the Uganda railway had reached Kisumu in 1901.  They had been brought by the Europeans to construct the railway.  They were called coolies at that time and they were more reliable labourers compared to Africans. 

More Asians continued to come after the railway construction. From 1903, Sir George Eliot, commissioner of Kenya, brought in Kenya the white settlers from Britain and S. Africa to make the railway pay.

The white settlers at once started to look at Kenya as their own country and to control both Asia and Africans. The white controlled government moved Africans from their best areas to make room for white settler settlements.

REASONS FOR THE CALLING OF DEVONSHIRE CONFERENCE

It should be emphasised that each of the three communities had its own grievances, which needed to be identified hence, such grievances forced the colonial secretary to call this conference.

European settlers

The settlers wanted to monopolise politics in Kenya example they wanted to occupy all the seats on the legislative council.  Their interest was to control both the Asians and Africans.

The settlers claimed to be a superior race and therefore wanted support of the government. They were mainly barked by aggressive characters like colonel Grogan and Lord Delamare.

The settlers had a principal aim of turning Kenya into a self-governing dominion within the British Empire under white control.

The settlers wanted to retain the highlands for their own exclusive occupation example for more European agricultural development.  Therefore the Asians and Africans were to be excluded from influencing government.

The Asian demanded for equality in political and economic issues, which the settlers objected.  It was in their interest to restrict Asian immigration and to increase racial discrimination in schools and hospitals.

Africans were to be discouraged by government from growing cash crops in order to maintain the quality of their produce and make Africans to supply cheap labour.

Grievances of Asians

The Asians who were living in towns formed their social cultural organisations such as the East African Indian National congress which acted as a platform for airing out their grievances for example.

The Asians wanted a great share in government representation for example they wanted equal representation on the legislative council given the fact they even out numbered the settler's community.

The Asian community demanded for better land.  Their exclusion especially from the highlands pained them so much.  In fact they wanted to have rights to hold land in the highlands.

The Asians also demanded for unchecked entry to East Africa.  This was settlers attempt to limit Asian immigration to Kenya.

The Asians further wanted racial discrimination in administration, army and civil service to end.  They wanted to freely live in towns, appointments and promotions in the army or administration to be based on merit rather than on race.  They also called for an end to discrimination in schools and hospitals.

Grievances for Africans

It took time for the Africans to organise themselves into pressure political groups.  Even what was formed after 1920 was mainly based on tribal organisation for example the Kikuyu association formed by chief Koinange, the young Kikuyu Association formed by militant Harry Thuku and the young Kavirondo CMS school.  These were their grievances. They demanded the withdraw of the identity card "Kipande" that Africans were forced by law to carry. The Africans demanded a cut in the poll tax, better labour conditions and education opportunities and the return of Kikuyu land. Africans further demanded for a share in government for example representation on the legislative council. They had completely been left out implying that there was no protection or promotions of their interest. It should be noted that much of the political activities among the Africans were centred on the Kikuyu.  They were the ones most directly involved with the European over the issue of land and closest to Nairobi the centre of European influence.

TERMS OF DEVONSHIRE WHITE PAPER

Restrictions on immigration by colonial government were to be no more.  This was particularly in the interest of the Asian community.

All residential areas were to be occupied without any racial discrimination. This was largely because there had been arrangements to make Kenya a settler colony. The Indians were allowed to elect five members to the legislative council but not on a common roll. A missionary was to be nominated on the legislative council to represent Africans interests. The colonial office was to exercise close control of the colony and the interests of the Africans who were to be of major importance. There was no consideration to grant settlers, self government or independence even during the future.

EFFECTS OF THE DEVONSHIRE WHITE PAPER

The Asians tried to end their political and social inequality for example separate taxation for Europeans and Indians was introduced to pay for segregated education.

Both the Asians and Africans were denied settlement in the Kenya highlands.  This was reserved for only European settlers.

The Asians failed to win equality in political and economic issues with the Europeans.  Hence they were much disappointed.

The Asian refused to take up legislative seats on the council until 1933.  The colonial government had to offer their five seats.  But the Indian congress refused to co-operate with the government.

It confirmed Kenya as a white settler colony by recognising the contribution made by the European settlers to Kenya's development.

It made it clear that neither European settlers nor the Asians would gain monopoly in the colonial administration of Kenya.

Kenya was declared an Africans territory by the colonial government and that the interests of the Africans must remain paramount.  It was now the responsibility of the government to protect the welfare of the Africans.  Therefore Africans became major beneficiaries.

The Africans major grievance on labour and land was never resolved.  They remained exploited and oppressed by the European settlers.

Both the European settlers and Asians remained dissatisfied but no more changes took place in their political leadership.  Thus gradually, the political rivalry between the settlers and Asians was killed.