The History of Kenya

       Africa is known as the “cradle of humanity” because of the theory that the first human beings lived in Africa at the beginning of time.[1] Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the African country of Kenya has a long, rich history filled with many achievements, failures, conflicts, and resolutions. Kenya has developed a unique sense of identity as a result of its history, characterized by rich and diverse culture, diverse religious affiliations, economic growth and struggles, and controversial political incidents. 

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       Because of the lack of written histories, we rely on oral accounts to study early pre-colonial history of Kenya.[2] These early oral histories often histories often had mythical elements, making them somewhat less reliable than written history accounts.[3] However, these oral histories give us better insight into the cultures of Kenya, as well as some of the religious beliefs.

       The Gikuyu, also called the Kikuyu, have a myth of origin which was passed down orally through the generations.[4] The Gikuyu are the largest ethnic group in Kenya. The Gikuyu origin myth claims that the god Mogai created the first man named Gikuyu. Gikuyu and his wife Mumbi were the father and mother of the human race. According to the myth, the Gikuyu group was named after the first man. This supposed direct relation to the first man, is a source of pride among the Gikuyu people.

Gikuyu Woman in ceremonial dress
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kikuyu_woman_in_traditional_costume.jpg

       Before the colonization of Kenya by Great Britain, the area that is now Kenya was split up into many different ethnic and cultural groups, the Gikuyus remaining as the largest throughout history.[5] The culture of these groups included their worldviews, morals, attitudes, beliefs, and presuppositions.[6] Aspects of culture also include religious beliefs. There were similarities between certain cultures in Kenya. Because these groups had no formal boundaries, cultural traits, beliefs, and traditions easily diffused from one ethnic group to another.[7] This all changed with the institution of European colonialism.

Ethnic Groups in Kenya as of 2007
https://welections.wordpress.com/category/kenya/

       During the 1880s, European countries such as Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and Italy all took part in the “Scramble for Africa."[8] The motives for this European colonization varied from profit gains, to the attainment of land, to religious reasons.[9] At first the people of Kenya did not mind the increased interaction with the Europeans. Trade with the Europeans stimulated the economy.[10] In addition, missionaries provided welfare services, opened schools, and shared religious hope.[11]

Effects of Scramble for Africa
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       However, colonialism had negative effects on the culture Kenya. Great Britain claimed Kenya as a protectorate of the British East Africa Company in 1895.[12] In order to distinguish the colonies under control of Great Britain from those of other European nations, Great Britain created political borders with no regards to the Ethnic groups of the area.[13] As a result, Ethnic Groups were split apart.[14] In addition, the British government split the different ethnic groups into tribes and created tribal boundaries.[15] These boundaries created further discord between groups and was not conducive to the sharing of cultural aspects.

        Relations between the indigenous people of Kenya and the settlers of Great Britain continued to sour as Kenyans continued to be under-represented in government even in the 1940s.[16] Two major points of contention arose: the Kenyan’s need for secure, valuable representation election by the Kenyan people, and the Europeans seizure of lands encroaching on the land of Kenyan farmers.[17] Discords between anti-colonial nationalists and colonial collaborators ensued.[18] The Mau Mau rebellion broke out as an insurrection against British colonial rule in 1956.[19] This rebellion did not end well for the people of Kenya as approximately 13,000 Kenyans were died.[20] The rebellion ceased in the same year.

Fire Patrol during the Mau Mau Rebellion
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       Following the rebellion, Great Britain began to make moves to allow African majority rule. Finally, on December 12, 1963, Kenya gained its full independence from Great Britain in 1963.[21]

However, independence did not end the political struggle. Insurgencies under the government continued to take place as the power struggle continued between the different parties. Finally, after much tension over political power and land rights, in 2009 a new constitution was drafted.[22] On August 27, 2012, the beginning of Kenya’s “Second Republic” showed the promise of a brighter future of freedom and opportunity in store for Kenya.[23]

       Though Kenya has been through many struggles throughout the years, it has achieved its place as a successful African country. Despite divisions of culture, political instability at times, and intermediate economic hardships, Kenya has been unified as a country with a unique national identity and fascinating history.

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[1] Joseph O. Vogel and Jean Vogel, Encyclopedia of Precolonial Africa: Archaeology, History, Languages, Cultures, and Environments (Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 1997), 52.

[2] John Middleton, Encyclopedia of Africa: South of the Sahara Vol. 2 (New York: Scribner, 1997), 300.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Stephen Paterson Belcher, African Myths of Origin (London: Penguin, 2005), 159-161.

[5] Middleton, Encyclopedia of Africa: South of the Sahara Vol. 2, 432.

[6] Kidane Mengisteab and Redie Bereketeab, eds., Regional Integration, Identity and Citizenship in the Greater Horn of Africa (Woodbridge: James Currey, 2012), 6.

[7] Middleton, Encyclopedia of Africa: South of the Sahara Vol. 2, 433.

[8] John Parker and Richard J. Reid, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Modern History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), 152.

[9] Ibid., 152-153.

[10] R. Mugo Gatheru, Kenya from Colonization to Independence, 1888-1970 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co, 2005), 7.

[11] Parker, The Oxford Handbook of Modern History, 157.

[12] Middleton, Encyclopedia of Africa: South of the Sahara Vol. 2, 429.

[13] Ibid., 431.

[14] Ibid., 432.

[15] Ibid., 433.

[16] David Anderson, Histories of the Hanged: The Dirty War in Kenya and the End of Empire (New York: W. W. Norton & Co, 2005), 9.

[17] Ibid., 10.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Middleton, Encyclopedia of Africa: South of the Sahara Vol. 2, 430.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Charles Hornsby, Kenya a History since Independence (New York: I.B. Tauris, 2012), 777, accessed October 16, 2015, ProQuest Ebrary.

[23] Ibid., 780.