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Cii . : Iji I: 1At IT KENYA TIMES, FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 1993 17 , THE Kenya African National Union (Kanu) was the first party to he formed in Kenya . after the nationalist leaders returned from the 1960 Lan- caster House conference in May that year. Political observers then and since have claimed that the name Kanu was an obvious imitation of the old KAU or Kenya Afn- can UniQn and that Kau vation was ending, would be ical differences between Kanu existence were some of its most was forced to offer ministries to well and gained him the respect and Kadu except that KADU inherited Kanu's loyalties. crucial and active. Kanu being the minority party, KADU. of many people, those who liked threatened by a Kikuyu-Luo The party was actually him and those that did not. alliance at the centre," writes was campaigning for regionalism the party that Kenyatta joined Another of Kanu's greatest or majimbo when independence formed on May 14 in Kiambu and led afterhis release, gave the assets at its formation and during David Goldsworthy, one of Tom and according to ono account: After the May 14, 1960 meet- Mboya's biographers. came. - party its greatest advantage over its formative years, was a youth- Both parties fought for mdc- "it developed into a day of high the otherparties at the time, the ful politician and Legco member ing, the leadership of Kanu was In the 1961 elections that tensions. All existing parties and as follows: Kenyatta was elected Kanu won, the party had a 67 pendence but Kanu. as it had the main ones being the Kenya who had been the leader of the more support, seemed more associations were to be merged African Democratic Union small but powerful, Nairobi President; 'Gichuru was chair- per cent majority and this meant into KANU, and all their leaders man; Odinga was vice-chairman, that they had won 19 of the 33 credible than Kadu and when the (KADU) of Ronald Ngala and People's Convention Party. This elections for uhuru finally came expected power and status in the the New Kenya Party (NKP) of man was Tom Mboya, Kanu's Mboya was general-secretary; so-called open seats. Kadu had new body." Arthur Ochwada was deputy lb per cent of thc voteca1 Rnd around in 1963. Kanu won 83 Sir Michael Blundell. first Secretary-General, and of the 124 House of Represen- Kanu's first Vice-President some say, its most effective since. general-secretary; Ronald Ngala won I 1 of the seats. now Ford interim chairman, Before Kenyatta's release, the was treasurer and Daniel arap The Kanu politicians who tative seats, including seats in Oginga Odinga writes in his party led by its leading lights, the Tom Mboya had also been a Moi was assistant treasurer. won their seats. or retained them every region. It also won the autobiography Not yet uhuru: late Tom Mboya, the late James union leader. In the years before included James Gichuru in majority of seats in the Senate "The suspense could be seen in Gichuru and Oginga Odinga had what one biographer describes as Ronald Ngala and Moi were Kiambu. Joseph Mathenge in and control of three regional the milling crowds round the made the subject of Kenyatta's Mboya's attainment of "the last elected to their posts in absentia, yeri. Julius Kiano and Kariuki assemblies. Central, Eastern and conference hall, in the evidence immediate release from prison a and highest secretaryships on they were reported to have been Njiiri in Fort Hall (Murang'a). Nyanra. The House of Represen- on all sides of caucusing and priority issue. Kenyatta's release which he had built his career", travelling abroad at the time and Bernard Mate in Meru, Jeremiah tatives was the lower house, the lobbing". was the issue that Kanu cam- Tom Mboya had been secretary on their return, they declined Nvagah in Embu. Oginga Senate was the upper house. On the day of the party's paigned on in the February 1961 of the Nairobi African Local office in KANU and went off Jinga and Argwings Kodhek Since thauime, Kanu hasbeeii formation, Kanu nominated the elections. Gov'rnment Staff Association, to form KADU. in Central Nyanza, Samuel the ruling party, Kadu dissolved absent Jomo Kenyatta (he was An observer of the Kenyan the Kenya Local Government KADU was formed on June Ayodó in South Nyanza. Law- and its members rejoined Kanu, still languishing in Lodwar on a political scene at the time was Workers Union, the Kenya 5 the same year and the two rence Sagini in Kisil and T.M.C. in 1966 Odinga left Kanu and restriction order from the colon- later to say: "Though Kenyatta Federation of Labour, the Nai- parties, Kanu anAO, Kadu were Chokwe in Mombasa West. formed the short-lived Kenya lal government having his seven was still in detention. his face was robi branch of the Luo Union, seen by politicatobservers of the Those who won for Kadu People's Union which was pros- years imprisonment at Loki- on their posters, his name on the African Elected Members time as the parties split on included Ronald Ngala, Daniel cribed in 1969. Since 1969 Kanu taung) as party President. The their Kanu's lips, and his legend Organisation, the Kenya Jade- definite lines. KANU emerged as arap Moi. Masinde Muliro. ruled as the dejure political party colonial government at once won them a convincing majority pendence Movement, the Lan- a party based mainly on the Justus -ok Tipis and John until 1982 when legislation was vetoed the idea, and James of votes." caster House delegation and he forces of urban nationalism with Serone. passed by Parliament making Gichuru, the man who had Kanu won the elections in crowned it all with his election heavy support from the Kikuyu, On August 14. 1961. Kenya de facto one-party state. stepped down for Kenyatta once 1961 almost effortlessly, but to the Secretary-Generalship of Luo and Kamba areas of the Kenyatta was released from This legislation was repealed by before in Kanu, was elected to despite strong pressure being the KANU party. country. KADU represented the detention to his Gatundu home Parliament in 1991 and Kanj hold the top Kanu post until brought to bear on them, they His experience in the trade less potent, less cohesive "forces and there, for a short while at will once again after more than Mzee was released from restric- refused to form a government unions and in Kenyan politics of rural nationalism" more 1ea'I. pt1iUtS were fbigoftri and 20 years have to prove its Hon or detention when it was and the then Governor, Sir during the emergency period particularly, those peoples members of both main parties considerable mettle against agreed Gichuru would automat- Patrick Renison, the man who when the known nationalist around the Kenya periphery who came together to welcome Mzee opposition parties at the next ically step-down and hand over. had stated that Kenyatta was "a leaders were either imprisoned or felt that their interests, above all back to freedom. general elections, whenever they . KANU'S first ten years of leader unto darkness and death", restricted, served Tom Mboya their land, then that land reser- There were no major ideolog- are called between now and March 1993. cii . : Iji I: 1At IT _ :.rij Live our beloved gT *iri:]iI L-ong live the ruling party KANU. TOWN HALL, P. 0. Box 53, Iten. SALINA SUMBEYWO, KAPTAMUGH SAMULI Chairman. Chairman. , 18 KENYA TIMES, FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 1993 :qt1't• .i SUPPLEMENTj.4i ByCHARLES KULUNDU • LAND has been and continues to. be an explosive issue in the political history of Kenya. ndeed the formation of the Kenya African National Union Kanu aidinq t1iI: landless KANU) in 1960 was basically to wage a relentless war to Valley and parts of Central recapture the White Highlands provinces owning large farms. which had been taken by the But as the independence war early settlers in the Rift Valley was finally won through the Province. efforts of pioneer freedom figh- The early colonial administra- ters, the late Mzce Jomo tors made a firm decision to turn Kenyatta moved fast to reassure Kenya into a whiteman's coun- the white settlers that they had try, a decision which led to the nothing to fear living under his alienation of vast treats of land administration, but there was a and the imposition of economic' change in the policy pursued by policies which serves the interests the colonial regime on white of the white settlers. settlers. There was need to fight these Most of them decided to sell "inveders" who had subjected their farms under an agreement Africans to a host of oppressive worked out by Kanu leaders at and humuliating pass laws, the the final independence Lancaster carrying of unacceptable inden- House constitutional talks which tification card called Kioanth' enabled a smooth transition in colour haw and a tax system that Kenya. Mzee Kenyatta held the was degrading. country together and the turhu- There was neglect in previding lent politics of the 1960s became social services to the sO-called . history. "reserves" where the majority of Today, 30 years after Kane Kenyans lived as the foreigners has effectively taken roots in the grouped themselves in fertile political, economic and social areas they called "White set-up in the country, the party Highlands". is proud of the agricultural But as Africans intensified expansion in the settlement . their thirsi for uhuru forcing the schemes and indeed the small- -1.100WAM 1F colonial regime to give in to some scale and large-scale farmers are of their demands, for instance making their efforts to produce A section of Kanu officials at a previous Annual Delegates Conference in Nairobi.
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