POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA

 

Kenya's politics was dominated by whites until the Asians agitated against them immediately after World war 1.  This resulted into a political controversy between the Asians and the Whites in Kenya.  It was this controversy which made the blacks politically aware through the Asians who wanted the support of Africans against the white dominance

The Africans had common enemies the white settlers who had taken their land and the British administrators who had encouraged the whites to settle in Kenya and who had allocated their land to the whites without the consent of the Africans.

Kenya was a projection of South Africa.  The whites had a South African-apartheid mentality and they hoped to get Kenya and make Africans serve them.

This feeling came strong when Southern Rhodesia attained internal self government in 1923 under white domination.  This feeling of the whites aroused the embitterment of the Asians and the blacks against the whites. 

It also united these Africans, who were politically aware, irrespective of their tribal groups.  In this way the Africans in Kenya  even before World war II organised themselves into the earlier regional political organizations.

FACTORS FOR THE RISE OF NATIONALISM IN KENYA

Western education.

Christian missionaries had emphasized the dignity and equality of all persons. This made the educated Kenyans for example James Gichuru, Tom Mboya, Oginga Odinga, Jomo Kenyatta and Eluid Mathu to condemn the white man's superiority in Kenya. They claimed that white discrimination against the blacks was incompatible with Christianity. Those who studied abroad for example Jomo Kenyatta and Eluid Mathu had witnessed western democracy and called for democratic and political reforms in Kenya. Their activities contributed to nationalistic feelings in Kenya.

The role of the mass media.

Newspapers such as Muiguithania (started in 1928 by Jomo Kenyatta), Sauti ya Mwafrika and the Kenya Weekly News exposed the atrocities of the British colonialists and called upon Kenyans to fight for their freedoms. To the newspapers was added Radio Cairo's Swahili service which fuelled nationalistic feelings to fever pitch during the Mau Mau insurrection. Radio Cairo in Egypt was started by president Nasser of Egypt to help other Africans get liberated.

The formation of welfare Associations. These included the Kikuyu Association, the Young Kikuyu Association the Young Kavirondo Association, the North Kavirondo Central Association, Ukamba members' Association, and the Kavirondo Tax payers' Association. These associations demanded land, tax and political reforms and helped to arouse nationalistic feelings amongst their members

The role of independent Churches.

African clergy who were discriminated broke off from the white missionary Churches and formed native or independent Churches. These pastors included Bildad Kaggia and Elijah Masinde who preached the need for a black Messiah, condemned colonial evils and called upon all Africans to rise up and defend their culture, land and future generations. Elijah Masinde in particular formed Dini ya Musambwa, a religion of African spirit which taught people that everything the bible teaches happened on Mt. Elgon. This religion is still very strong in western Kenya and Masabaland. This led to nationalistic feelings.

The emergency of political parties also stimulated nationalism in Kenya. The earliest and most active nationalistic party was the Kenya African Union (KAU) which spread nationalistic ideas firstly amongst the Kikuyu and later in areas outside Kikuyu land. It was formed in 1944 by Eluid Mathu and later followed by other  parties like Tom Mboya's Nairobi Peoples' Convention Party (1957), KANU and KADU in 1960 etc.These spread nationalistic ideas.

Trade Unions also fuelled nationalism in Kenya. Before, during and after the 2^nd world war, Trade Unions played a big role of sensitizing Kenyan workers about their rights. In 1939, trade unionists organised the Mombasa African Workers' general strike. After the 2^nd  world war, Chege Kibachia- the Trade Unions leader led the Mombasa general strike of 1947. He was able to win a minimum wage for all Kenyan workers. Then he formed the African workers' federation which earned him imprisonment in 1947. Then in 1949 Makhan Singh and Fred Kubai formed the East African Trade Union Congress (EATUC) which was denied registration

Urbanization played a major role in stimulating Kenyan nationalism.  This was especially true with Nairobi City which attracted Africans from various tribes and regions. Due to the hard conditions in the city, they became united and became the nucleus of revolutionary propaganda that led to the Mau Mau rebellion.

Easy transport and communication facilitated the movement of nationalists and nationalistic ideas throughout Kenya.   The roads and railways put in place by colonialists enabled nationalists to connect easily between the rural and urban areas and to prepare for their war of independence.

The loss of political independence also fanned nationalistic feelings in Kenya. The whites dominated Kenya's politics and left the traditional African chiefs powerless. On top of Kenya's administration was a governor, followed by the executive and legislative councils which for long were occupied by whites), followed by provincial commissioners, district commissioners, and finally at the bottom came the African chiefs- implementers of unpopular colonial policies. This displeased Africans and led to rise of nationalism.

White settler influence led to nationalistic feelings. After 2nd World War, more settlers were encouraged into Kenya and it seemed the British wanted to turn Kenya into a white man's country. This led to nationalistic feelings

Land alienation especially in the fertile Kenya highlands and Rift valley area aroused nationalistic feelings.  By 1915, 9,200 kilometres of land had been grabbed from Africans and the 1930 Native Lands Trust ordinance was ignored. It had recommended the return of land to the natives especially Kikuyu.

Poverty amongst Africans led to nationalistic feelings. This was due to living in overcrowded areas where no meaningful agriculture could be conducted. Also, the oppressive taxes that made their incomes useless, hence poverty, suffering and nationalism.

Forced labour led to strong feelings of determination to send away the white men.

Colour bar in residential areas, schools, hospitals among othersmade Africans develop a desire to chase away the white man. Africans were discriminated in employment and paid low wages for the same jobs as the whites did. The white man's discrimination was evident in schools where the government spent only 5 pounds per year on the education of an African child while it spent 35 pounds on a European child! Tom Mboya quoted these figures in 1960.

Unfair political representation also fanned nationalism in Kenya. Until 1944, no African was allowed to sit on the colonial legislative councils. In that year, only one African was appointed to the Legco and by 1951 the number had only risen to Five. Yet Africans were the majority. As fur the colonial executive council, the first African was appointed in 1954. This was seen as a great political injustice and hence the rise of nationalistic feelings.

The Kipande system which deprived Africans of their right to move freely in their country also fanned nationalistic feelings.

The British divide and rule policy whereby they favoured and promoted other tribes of Kenya at the expense of the Kikuyu led to a rise of Kikuyu nationalism.

Swahili language helped in the rise of Kenyan nationalism. It was commonly used and understood by the majority of Kenyans. So, it made communication and co-ordination between elites, peasants and soldiers very easy.

The missionary attempt to undermine Kikuyu culture stimulated cultural nationalism. The Kikuyu cherished circumcision but which the whites wanted to abolish. This created resentment and nationalistic feelings.

The unfair agricultural policies also led to nationalistic feelings. These included forced soil conservation, de-stocking of Ukamba cattle and preventing Africans from growing profitable cash crops.   All this led to ill feelings and thus the rise of nationalism.

The domination of Kenya's economy by Asians also fanned nationalistic feelings. Whereas Asians were prospering Africans were growing poorer.

The banning of political parties and imprisonment of Kenya nationalists only served to fuel Kenyan nationalism

The impact of the 2nd world war did more to arouse Kenyan nationalism than anything else. That's why after 1945, the pace towards independence grew faster.

Kenyan soldiers who had come into contact with the outside world returned full of democratic and nationalistic ideas.   They had shared experiences with Asian nationalists and once back in Kenya, demanded for independence,

They had learnt military skills and had seen the defeat of the white man for example In Burma, So, they no longer feared the white man and were ready to use force to uproot colonialism. These ex-service men included Bildad Kaggia who fought in North Africa and Waruhiu Itote who fought in Burma.

They had learnt the white man's language, had listened to the wireless and read newspapers. Their horizon of reasoning was therefore widened.

Some of them, like Bildad Kaggia had been discriminated in the colonial armies whereby as a sergeant he had reprimanded an untidy European corporal but was warned never to give orders to his white juniors.

Bildad Kaggia had travelled in U.K where he met social equality and democracy. He even worked with a democratic American doctor in North Africa. All these made him think about fighting to end colour bar in Kenya. On returning to Kenya, ex-service men were again exposed to colour bar, unemployment, poor living standards etc. Moreover they were not given the compensation they were promised. This fanned nationalistic feelings and made them resort to violence.

The adverse effects of the 2nd world war made whites to allow Kenyans grow cash crops which they were originally denied. This made them obtain money to sponsor nationalistic activities.

Ex-service men joined KAU.

Ex-service men formed independent Churches for example Kaggia.

The formation of the 40 group led to the rise of nationalistic feelings in Kenya. After the second world war, the radicals within the KAU formed a secret militant group called the forty group or Anake wa 40.  This comprised ex-service men, the unemployed and urban lumpens etc. It helped to spread nationalistic feelings. However this can also be related to the impact of the 2nd world war.

The declaration of a state of emergence. On October 20th and 21st, Sir Evelyn Barring ordered a state of emergency in which a number of KAU leaders and other nationalists were arrested and detained for 7 years. This only served to harden Kenyan nationalists who took off to the bush to avoid arrests. In the bush, they joined the Mau Mau.

The influence of the labour party. After the 2nd world war, the labour party rose to power in Britain and started preparing the British colonial empire for independence. In Kenya, the labour party called for an expansion of African representation on the Legco. Hence the number was risen from one in 1944 to four in 1948. This helped to fuel Kenyan nationalism.

The 1945 Manchester conference stimulated nationalistic feelings in Kenya. This was because Kenya's son abroad-Jomo Kenyatta, attended it and adopted its slogans "Self government now", "positive action", "Mass action" etc- On his return to Kenya in 1946, he put to use the Pan African principles and this fanned nationalistic feelings in Kenya.

The independence of India in 1947 had a great influence on the growth of Kenyan nationalism. Indian's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru supported Kenya's struggle for independence and appointed A.B Pant as the Indian High Commissioner to Nairobi in 1948. He instructed him to give legal advice scholarship, finances and at times arms to Kenyan nationalists.

The breach of the 1930 Native land trust ordinance aroused bitter feelings leading to Kenyan nationalism. It had suggested that land for Africans would be left untouched and that reserves would by use by Africans for their benefits. But when gold was discovered at Kakamega (western Kenya) the Native lands ordinance was broken and land grabbing continued.

KCA sought audience with the British government and sent Kenyatta to England to speak for the party but in vain.

The 1958 Accra conference, This was an All African Peoples' conference called by Kwame Nkrumah . It was attended by some of Kenya's freedom fighters for example Tom Mboya and Oginga Odinga who returned to Kenya with sharpened nationalistic feelings.

The independence of other African Countries for example the Egyptian coup of 1952, Libya's independence in 1951, Morocco and Tunisia in 1956, Ghana 1957 , Congo 1960 made Kenyans to dance to the tune of the wind of charge in Africa.

The following are the earlier parties formed in Kenya:

The Young Kikuyu Association

It was founded by a telephone operator, Harry Thuku on 1921 as a result of a reduction of African wage due to currency changes in 1921 and due to the fall of the world prices for primary commodities. 

The Y.K.A did not work together with its predecessor, the Kikuyu Association because it was led by the elderly Kikuyu chiefs appointed by the government.

Its membership was composed of the young, mission - educated Kikuyus who collaborated with the already disgusted Asians.  The Asian - owned Nairobi newspaper published the views of the Y.K.A. Their views were translated into English by a missionary A.R . Barlow. 

At Dagoretti the members met on 24^th June, 1921, and aired their grievance.  Their leader Thuku sent cables to the British Government.

The Kikuyu Association, now submerged by the YKA denounced Thuku's activities.  Thuku retaliated by addressing large African gatherings in Kavirondo and Kikuyu land. The Government arrested him on March 1922 and deported him to Kismayu.  The YKA, now leaderless, virtually collapsed.

The Young Kavirondo Association

As a result of Thuku's addresses to the people of Kavirondo, the Young Kavirondo Association came into the picture but Archdeacon Owen of CMS in 1923 converted it into the Kavirondo Tax Payers' Welfare Association.  Owen became its first president.

The Association's work in taxation, allocation of public funds, child welfare, improved housing and simple sanitary precautions was commended by the Government until the Association split on tribal grounds, when the Bantu and Luo split.

Religious differences also marred Owen' work when the Catholic Union was formed. Later the Government attacked the K.T.W.A on the grounds that it had right to discuss political issues since it was dealing with only welfare matters.

The Kikuyu Central Association brought activities of the Y.K.A to a stand still until it has phased  into the Kikuyu Central Association .  In 1928 the association sent a petition to the Government.

(a)    Africans to be allowed to grow coffee.

(b)   The Kikuyu to have a paramount chief.

(c)    Publications of Kenya laws in Kikuyu.

(d)   Release of Harry Thuku.

This petition made the KCA very popular and the government felt concerned about the activities of the KCA. From 1931 to 1946 Mr. John stone (later Jomo) Kenyatta (The first President of Kenya) lived in England to plead for the cause of Africans in Kenya.  He was sent there by the KCA.

WORLD WAR II AND AFTER.

During the Second World War the KCA and other allied associations were banned but they went underground.  Mr. James Gichuru, the principal founder and first president of the Kenya African Study Union (K.AS.U) convened a meeting of the KASU members and proposed a change in the name of their union. At its second Annual Delegates conference in February 1946 the name Kenya African Union (KAU) was adopted.

In September 1946, Mr. Jomo Kenyatta returned.  In June 1947 James Gichuru stepped down to allow Jomo Kenyatta to become President of KAU. The years 1947 to 1951 saw Jomo Kenyatta devoting himself to welding together and improving the KAU to make it nationally effective and constitutional. 

Jomo Kenyatta, in his task of forming a strong national party, was faced with the hostility of the European community who demanded his deportation and with the difficulty of arousing national consciousness beyond the boundaries of the Central province.  The latter was made more difficult since many people were still illiterate.  By degrees he managed to weld together the different African societies under the KAU.

 

In 1945 one African became a member of a Legco . He was followed in 1946 by a second African member of the Legco, Mr. B.A Ohanga .  In 1948 the African membership was raised to four.  But this step was regarded as inadequate by the KAU.

The educated Kenyans, the ex - soldiers and the leaders of African political groups could not imagine how economic and social problems facing the Africans members could ever be solved by the predominantly settler representation. For this reason the KAU in 1951 demanded an increase in African representation.  The government responded by adding a fifth member, also nominated by the Governor.

The white settlers wanted an unofficial majority in the legislative council and an eventual self - government in the hands of the European minority.  The demands by the whites embittered the already bad relationship between the whites and the KAU members some of whom had in 1948 formed the Kenya Land and Freedom Army which was a militant or racial groups determined to resort to arms to redeem their land from the sharp claws of the white settlers.  This militant group was baptized Mau - Mau