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The process of getting independence in kenya
British imperialism in Kenya
The process of getting independence in kenya
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Kenya has been a symbol of East African solidarity, as they gained a reluctant sovereignty after years of ram shaking batter with colonialist Britain. Many factors contributed to the gaining of Kenyan independence in December 1963, using both aggressive and passive styles of rebellion they rebuked colonial autocracy and gained their independence.
During the 19th Century numerous European countries begun to take an active interest in African countries, Kenya and much of East Africa was soon swept under British mandate. At the Berlin conference of 1885 Kenya was bestowed to Great Britain. By 1895 the British government managed to set up “The East African Protectorate” paving the path for white farmers who were interested in Kenyan fertile lands, even before the official ratification in 1920 making Kenya a British colony. The white settlers created a euro-supremacy where the Asian and African communities were omitted from any form of political participation. With the later establishment of “The Imperial British East African Company” granting them governing powers as well as protective ones over Kenya. Kenya was theirs. With the increasing introduction of British ‘puppet chiefs’ e.g. William Ochieng (Middleton, 157) and extraction of old traditional ones, British presences in Kenya resulted in the escalation of a cultural Decline.
The British begun to carve the land, fencing out many of the native communities from their homelands forcing them to the arid dry land surrounding modern day rift valley (Middleton, 158). British authorities of Kenya divided this country up into independent districts separating the British from the natives, they were here to establish a clear difference of rights between the British and the Natives. They t...
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· Widner, Jennifer A. The Rise of a Party-state in Kenya: From "Harambee" to "Nyayo!"Berkeley: University of California, 1992. Print.
· Hunt, Diana, and Gary Wasserman. "Politics of Decolonization: Kenya Europeans and the Land Issue 1960-1965." International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-) 54.1 (1978): 163. Print.
· Ogot, Bethwell A., and William Robert Ochieng' Decolonization & Independence in Kenya, 1940-93. London: J. Currey, 1995. Print.
· Anderson, D. M. "'Yours in Struggle for Majimbo'. Nationalism and the Party Politics of Decolonization in Kenya, 1955-64." Journal of Contemporary History 40.3 (2005): 547-64. Print.
· Malboa, Wunyabari O. Mau-Mau and Kenya: An Analysis of a Peasant Revolt. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1998.
· Roseberg, Carl G. The Myth of Mau-Mau. New York: Meridian, 1970.
As the international shift towards nationalism and self-determination gained momentum in the years after World War II as a result to imperialism’s dangerous influence on the world during the war, decolonization becomes the inevitable truth for nations on both sides of the colonial relationship between an occupying country and a subjugated
Europe, in the late 1800’s, was starting for a land grab in the African continent. Around 1878, most of Africa was unexplored, but by 1914, most of Africa, with the lucky exception of Liberia and Ethiopia, was carved up between European powers. There were countless motivations that spurred the European powers to carve Africa, like economical, political, and socio–cultural, and there were countless attitudes towards this expansion into Africa, some of approval and some of condemnation.
The movement began in the mid nineteenth century and it was led by people from the diaspora and leaders in Africa. Many people and events that played pivotal roles in this movement. Some of these people are: Martian Delany, Alexander Crummel, Kwame Nkrumah, Marcus Garvey, Jomo Kenyatta, W. E. B. In 1957, Nkrumah brought his country to independence from Britain and he was a major advocate for African nationalism. Nkrumah’s dream was for the entire continent of Africa to be free from colonial rule. He put together the Organization of African Unity, a group that promotes peace and harmony between all of the African nations.
According to Flint, marks a new direction in colonial policy, with ‘self-government’ becoming a paramount concern [9] R Pearce, P 79 [10] R Pearce, P 80 [11] R Pearce, P 80 [12] R Pearce, P 84 [13] Founder of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon’s. [14] T Falola & A. D. Roberts, West Africa, Oxford History of British Empire, 20th Century, P 524
A. Adu Boahen's African Perspectives on Colonialism neatly classifies African responses to European colonialism during both phases of invasion and occupation during the 19th century with precise labels according to their nature or time period. However, the reactions can also be loosely grouped into two diametric characterizations: peaceful and violent. Although creating this dichotomy seems a gross generalization and oversimplification of the colonial African experience, it more importantly allows for a different perspective- one that exposes the overwhelming success of the typically peaceful or pacifist reaction in contrast to the little gain and large losses of the violent response.
Alas, in 1961 Patrice Lumumba was assassinated by a US- sponsored plot 7 months after independence, and replaced him with a “puppet dictator named Mobutu” (Kingsolver). In her book, Barbara Kingsolver surfaces a forgotten part of our nation’s history in the exploitation of the Congo through her main characters, the Price family, who are missionaries sent to the Kilanga village. Through characters’ narratives that “double as allegories for the uneasy colonial marriage between the West and Africa” (Hamilton, Jones), Kingsolver creates a relatable way for her readers to understand the theme she is trying to convey, which is “‘what did we do to Africa, and how do we feel about it?’” (Snyder). Kingsolver began with this theme and developed the rest of the novel around it, just as she does with her other works, and sticking with her trademark technique, she utilizes her book as a vessel for “political activism, an extension of the anti-Vietnam protests” she participated in college (Snyder).
Bennett, Norman. Africa and Europe: From Roman Times to National Independence. New York: Africana Publishing Co, 1984.
“The sun never sets on the British Empire,” Great Britain often bragged. By 1914, about 85% of the earth’s surface was colonized by Europe. Between 1884 and 1885, The Berlin Conference took place to carve up the African continent (Background Essay). Europeans saw high potential in Africa and thought the continent was empty, even though it was not. It was roughly “untouched” and they thought they could do anything they wanted (Doc.1). Great Britain’s colonization in Kenya affected the country’s religion and culture, education, and government.
For this assignment I chose to write about Jomo Kenyatta. After reading chapters three and four of Khapoya’s book, it was hard to imagine an Africa that wasn’t under colonial rule. I can only comprehend on a very basic level the impact colonialism had on the Africans economically, physically, and mentally. It is inspiring to read further and discover the immense, calculated, and passionate efforts that many Pan African leaders played in the years that followed. I found Jomo Kenyatta to be particularly interesting. For many reasons, Kenyatta is considered one of the most significant leaders of the Pan African movement in the twentieth century. Kenyatta had a clear vision of what he wanted for Kenya (or Africa as a whole), he was prepared for the path he would have to take, and he accomplished much for the country and continent as a whole.
The Web. 25 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. "Nationalism in Africa - African Nationalism After World War II." Colonial, Pan, Rule, and Nkrumah.
· Newsinger, John. "Revolt and Repression in Kenya: The "Mau Mau" Rebellion." Jstor. N.p., n.d. Web.
The New Imperialism and the Scramble for Africa 1880-1914. Jeff Taylor, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
Collier has presented the notions of ethnic identity and national identity. These two types of identities clash within certain international governments. Collier explained, “A society can function perfectly well if its citizens hold multiple identities, but problems arise when those subnational identities arouse loyalties that override loyalty to the nation as whole” (Collier, 2009, pg. 51). Essentially this quote explains that ethnic identities create a sense of loyalty to one’s ethnic group rather than one’s national identity. This type of loyalty causes discrepancies within the political structure of one’s nation. Collier focuses on the Kenyan government to help represent his claims.
A number of policy interventions have been originated since independence to address the growing employment problem in Kenya, and with that, make an attempt at bettering the lot of the Kenyan youth. The earliest among these were the Kenyanization policies adopted at independence in which it was envisaged that young Kenyans would quickly take over duties and responsibilities from departing colonial staffers. Other policy measures included promotion of growth and development of the informal and jua kali sector in the 1990’s.
The history of Kenya is like other African countries because they had ivory that European countries wanted. In the 19th century, Christian missionaries arrived from Europe, the Berlin Conference divided Africa into spheres of influence, and in 1890 Kenya was declared a British protectorate. In 1893, coffee was introduced to Kenya. In the 1920 Kenya was declared a British colony but from 1952-1956 a state of emergency was declared in response to the Mau Mau rebellion against the British. After the rebellion, in 1963, Kenya gained their independence from Britain. A year later Kenya became a republic and Wilson Kipurgut wins the first Olympic medal for ...