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KENYA’S WAR OF INDEPENDENCE BRITAIN INVADES KENYA, 1885-1952
Notes & Quotes Study Guides No. 5 (2019)
By Shiraz Durrani
April 2019 1885: EUROPE DIVIDES UP & INVADES AFRICA 2
▸ Kenya linked to outside world for 2,000 years by trade
▸ 1870s & ‘80s: Europe began looking to Africa for natural resources for industries and markets for goods (1) ▸ 1885: Berlin Conference. Imperialist Europe capture Africa
▸ ‘What resulted was a hodgepodge of geometric boundaries that divided Africa into fifty irregular countries. This new map of the continent was superimposed over the one thousand indigenous cultures and regions of Africa. The new countries lacked rhyme or reason and divided coherent groups of people and merged together disparate groups who really did not get along’ (2)
▸ 1895: East Africa claimed as British Protectorate COLONIAL VIOLENCE 3 ▸ The conquest of state and territory for British settlement and exploitation in Kenya was achieved through colonial violence. To force Africans into submission, the colonial administration in Kenya conducted ‘punitive expeditions’ in the 1890s against what they called ‘recalcitrant tribes’. There were military expeditions against the Nandi in 1901, 1905, and 1906, against the Embu in 1905, against the Abagusii in 1904, 1908, and 1914, against the Kipsigis in 1905 and against the Abagishu and Kabras in 1907 (3)
▸ The history of Africa’s relations with the West has been a history of robbery – robbery of African manpower, its mineral and agricultural resources, and its land. Even though direct slavery no longer exists, labour, resources and land remain the three dynamic issues over which the struggle for the future of Africa is being fought out (4) WHY KENYA? 4
▸The climate of Kenya is excellent for agriculture, it is free from tropical diseases. This has encouraged the settlement of Europeans who have invaded healthy areas and alienated the land owned and tilled by Africans. The African population must now either perish or work for starvation wages on the farms they owned for generations. They are compelled to pay Poll Tax to sustain the Administration which deprived them of their land (5) ▸The creation of a European aristocracy is founded not on innate superiority, but on monopoly of the best and healthiest land. A large part of the Africans must live in lands that are dry, hot and unhealthy - in lands too small and too infertile to support their population (6) LAND, LABOUR & CAPITAL 5 ▸By the end of the Second World War, 3,000 European Settlers owned 43,000 square kilometres of the most fertile land, only 6 per cent of which they cultivated. The African population of 5.25 million occupied, without ownership rights, less than 135,000 square kilometres of the poorest land. On the ‘native reserves’ much of the land was unsuitable for agriculture (7) ▸The British wanted the land. They wanted the labour to work on the land. They wanted capital to develop the land. They wanted political power for the smooth running of labour on the land. The land grabbing and political power were to be gained by military conquests (8)
▸1919: 2,000,000 acres of Nandi land seized to resettle British soldiers 1920: BRITAIN DECLARES KENYA ITS ‘COLONY’ 6
▸It was aimed at ensuring that the British could deal with the land and labour of African people as they thought fit
▸It was to guarantee that the land taken away from the African people and given to settlers would remain settlers’ land and that the forced labour system could be tightened ▸A conspiracy began to make Kenya a ‘White Man’s Country’ and to establish a white settlers’ government
▸Thus the African people were being turned from a ‘protected people’ into a slave people (9) BASIC CONTRADICTION 7
▸There was now a fierce struggle between two forces. On the one hand were the British rulers, helped by settlers and other employers. They were determined to perpetuate for ever their complete domination over the African people and exploit the human and natural resources of Kenya for the benefit of imperialism and colonial interests ▸On the other hand were the African and other freedom-loving people. They were bent upon resisting, attacking and defeating the imperialist colonial rule and its consequences - land robbery, forced labour, low wages, long working hours, compulsory registration system, racial segregation, colour bar, oppressive laws and such other practices ▸This basic contradiction was the main driving force throughout the colonial period in Kenya. The scene was thus set for violent clashes between British colonialism and the people of Kenya (9) PEOPLE’S RESISTANCE 8 ▸The British invasion of Kenya was resisted by many nationalities of Kenya. Between the formal declaration of a “protectorate“ in 1895 and the outbreak of the first Imperialist War in 1914, the British colonial regime had faced armed resistance by forces led by heroic figures like Mbaruk bin Rashid at the Coast, Waiyaki and Gakunju in Central Kenya. Koitalel in the Rift Valley, Lowalal and Kotetiang in Northern Rift Valley, Ahmed Megan and Mohamed Abdille Hassan in North Eastern Kenya, and Me Katilili in the Coast. These forces represented Waswahili, Mijikenda, Gikuyu, Turkana, Nandi, Somali, to mention just a few. Taken together, these nationality anti-imperialist forces amount to an all-Kenyan national movement against a common enemy (8) PEOPLE RESIST COLONIALISM 9
Durrani, N (2017) (10) FREEDOM FIGHTERS 10
Durrani, N. (2017) (10) REGISTER OF RESISTANCE AND LEADERS 11 ▸1880s: Kikuyu: Nyeri - Ngunju ▸1900-: Nandi Resistance - Koitalel Gakere; Kiambu - Klanyaki (?) ▸1904;08: Gusii - Morra Ngiti ▸1880s: Coast - Mabaruk Rashid (woman) ▸1890:Taita - Mwangeka & Mwanda ▸1911-12: Marakwet (3,000 soldiers) ▸1888: Gikuyu - Waiyaki ▸1911-14: Mijikenda (Mombasa to Sabaki River)- Me Katilili (woman) ▸1890: Maasai - Mbatiani; Sendeu ▸1915-16: Indians of Ghadar Party ▸ 1892: Taita - Mwangeka hanged ▸ 1895-99: Wakamba - Itumo Muka ▸1918: Turkana - Lowalel and Ebei ▸1895: Luo & Luhya batttle against ▸1920: Gusii - Bonariri (woman) Maxim guns ▸1896: Swahili & Arab Kenyans - Freretown &. Malindi - Mbaruk bin (10,11) Rashid; Witu - Fumo Bakari
▸1896: Luo: Ugenya - Gero; Seme - Nyagudi Wood Ogambe SOME EXAMPLES THE COAST: ME KATILILI AND PEOPLE’S GOVERNMENT 12 ▸Me Katilili called the people’s assembly, the Kaya. People took oaths and swore to defend their land, their labour and their culture ▸They denounced the colonial administration and the local henchmen. The assembly installed a people’s government and administration led by the three patriotic elders: Wanje, Pembe and Bogosho ▸The youth swore to arm themselves for self-defence. The people denounced Christian bourgeois anti-people culture exhibited by the few who had been to mission schools and churches ▸The people were told not to continue paying taxes to the colonial government; and the assembly swore people to an insurrection. The collaborators were terrorised into silence (8) ME KATILILI ESCAPES BRITISH JAIL & WALKS 1,000 KM 13 ▸The British responded by seizing large tracts of land, burning their homes and razing Kaya Fungo. This led to the Giriama Uprising, known as kondo ya chembe ▸Mekatilili was arrested by the British on 17 October 1913 and exiled to Mumias in Western Province. She escaped from the prison and walked over 1,000 kilometers home to Giriama where she continued to oppose the imposition of Colonial policies and ordinances
▸She died in 1924 (12) NORTHERN KENYA 14 ▸The resistance of Somali, Boran, Orma, Rendille and the Turkana nationalities symbolises our people’s heroic struggle against colonialism. Foreign intruders describe the Somali as resistors par excellence, and the NFD is full of examples of the gallant stand of our people and the failure of the imperialists to consolidate their influence in the region (13) MOHAMED ABIDE HASSAN 15 ▸ From 1893 to about 1918, various Somali groups engaged in primary resistance to the colonial powers. Resistance centred on the British invasion of previously independent territories
▸ From the first day the British set foot on Northern Kenya in the 1890s until their departure in 1963, they encountered unprecedented opposition with heavy losses. Casualties could only be sustained by the continuous supply of recruits from countries such as India, Sudan, Uganda, Nyasaland and Aden
▸ Mohamed Hassan founded a politico-military front known as the Darwish against the British, the Italian and feudal Abyssinia... The British and Italian suffered defeats at the hands of Darwish fighters. In the battle of Dulmadobe in 1914, they trounced the Camel Constabulary and killed its commanding officer...The British beat a hasty retreat and moved their families and personnel across the sea to Aden (14) SOMALI YOUTH LEAGUE CHALLENGES COLONIALISM 16 ▸ May 1943: the Somali Youth Club founded in Mogadishu. Branches were opened in Wajir, Mandera and Isiolo. It changed its name to Somali Youth League (SYL). Membership was primarily Somali but others, such as the Burji and the Borana, were drawn to its progressive manifesto.
▸ SYL declared illegal. Its leaders deported to Lokitaung in Turkana District
▸ 1947: Garissa SYL was urging people to take over running of country
▸ 1948: SYL brought the region to standstill. It opposed colonial grazing control schemes and encouraged disregard of nationality boundaries. They undermined the system of ethnic control through government appointed headmen and destroyed the confidence of provincial administration. People refused to pay taxes and SYL set up courts and institutions which challenged the colonial system (13) WORKING CLASS AGAINST COLONIALISM 17 ▸SYL trained youths in use of firearms. Former members of the Kenya Police Force and the King’s African Rifles trained recruits. SYL recruited from the police, the army and civil service and was instrumental in the police strike of 1947 ▸Kenyan workers were vigorously organising to confront economic exploitation, political subordination and racial discrimination (13) HORSEED RESISTANCE 18 ▸1948: Colonial government proscribed SYL. The state of emergency which was temporarily relaxed after war was renewed. NDF [Northern Frontier District] was sealed off. All other Kenyans and people from Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia were removed from the region ▸Yet political activity continued underground. In 1957, the underground Horseed (the Vanguard) instituted oath taking in Garissa and Isiolo. The development directly connected the NFD resistance to that of Mau Mau (13) ORGANISATIONS OF RESISTANCE 19 ▸1919: Kikuyu Association - Chief Association (Nyanza) Koinange Kavirondo Taxpayers Welfare ▸1921: Young Kikuyu Association - Association Harry Thuku 1939: Taita Hills Association ▸1921: East African Association - Harry Thuku ▸1944: Kenya African Study Union ▸1921: Kavirondo Association - ▸Kenya African Union (KAU) Jonathan Okwiri founded ▸1925: Kikuyu Central Association ▸1947: Forty Youth Movement - Joseph Knag’ethe; James founded Beauttah ▸1950: ‘Mau Mau’ term used; Mau ▸1938-39: Mau organisation banned Ukamba Members Association - Samuel Muindi wa Mbingu North Kavirondo Central (8, 10, 11) TRADE UNIONS & STRIKES 20 TRADE UNIONS GENERAL STRIKES
▸ 1935: Kenya Indian Labour ▸ 1922: First General Strike Trade Union, changed to: ▸ 1937: LTUEA 62-day strike ▸ 1935: Labour Trade Union of ▸ Kenya - Makhan Singh 1939: Mombasa African workers’ General Strike ▸ 1937: Labour Trade Union of East Africa ▸ 1947. General Strike, Mombasa ▸ 1938: Alliance between KCA ▸ and LTUEA 1950: General Strike nationwide ▸ 1949: East African Trade Union Congress - Makhan Singh & ▸ 1952: Boycott of buses and Fred Kubai European beer in protest against Government’s repression.
(9-11) COLONIAL FORCES ATTACK TRADE UNIONS 21
(15) CULTURAL RESISTANCE 22 ▸ 1934: Kikuyu Independent Schools Association
▸ 1935: Kikuyu Karing’a Education Association
▸ 1936: Dini ya Msambwa. Elijah Masinde arrested (1945)
▸ 1938: Kenya Teacher’s College - Mbiyu wa Koinange
▸ 1952: 250,000 students in independent schools under Kikuyu Karing’a Education Association and Kikuyu Independent Schools Association became ‘forts of the struggle for freedom’ (9)
▸ Muthirigu Independent Schools
▸ KCA: started a popular “Muthirigu” a dance song which was performed in churches and schools in Central Kenya, mocking the missionaries, their adherents and the government (16) 1952: IMPERIALISTS DECLARE WAR ON KENYA 23 ▸It was becoming obvious to the to leaders of Mau Mau that armed force against the colonialists would have to be resorted to, because no other way was left achieve the complete independence of Kenya. Some trade unionists in association with some national leaders were playing an important part in the activities of Mau Mau
▸20 October, 1952: State of Emergency ▸A new chapter had begun. An imperialist colonial war was now on against the people of Kenya (9) NOTES 24
1. Encyclopedia of Africa (2010). Edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Kwame Anthony Appiah. Oxford: OUP. Available at: http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195337709.001.0001/acref-9780195337709-e-0467. [Accessed: 31-03-19]. 2. Rosenberg, Matt (2018): The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 to Divide Africa. Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/berlin- conference-1884-1885-divide-africa-1433556. [Accessed: 31-03-19]. 3. Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission of Kenya (2013) [TJRC]: Final Report. Vol. IIA. Available at http://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/tjrc/ [Accessed: 08-04-17]. 4. Woddis, Jack (1960): Africa: The Roots of Revolt. London: Lawrence & Wishart. 5. Laski, Frida (1954?): Foreword to Pankhurst, Richard K. P. (1954?): Kenya: the History of Two Nations. London: Independent Publishing Co. 6. Koinange, Mbiyu and Aching Oneko (1952): Land Hunger in Kenya. London: The Union of Democratic Control. No. 3: Africa and the Future. 7. Slaughter, Barbara (1999): “How Britain crushed the ‘Mau Mau rebellion’ – Channel Four TV’s Secret History – Mau Mau”. A report on the programme is available from: