Kenya History

Kenya Past to Present

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Our Kenya history profile is a recounting of the country's rich and varied heritage.

East Africa history dates back to about 2000 BC, when the Cushitic-speaking people from northern Africa moved into the area now called Kenya. The coast was frequented by Arab traders from the Arabian Peninsula.

Persian and Arab settlements were established along the coast by the 8th century. Nilotic and Bantu people moved into the area during the first millennium. The Bantu still make up about three-quarters of Kenya's population.

A mix of Bantu and Arabic words evolved as a language for trade between these different people groups. Swahili, one of the present day national languages, is the name of this mix.

By the 16th century the Portuguese became dominant over the Arabs, and it in turn gave dominance over to Oman in 1698. By the 19th century, The United Kingdom had established its influence.

One way this was done was through missionaries. Dr. Ludwig Krapf, a German missionary founded the first Christian mission in 1846. He worked among the Mijikenda on the coast and later translated the Bible to Swahili.

Facts About Kenya Colonial History

The history of Kenya includes Imperial Germany that took over the Sultan of Zanzibar's coastal possessions in 1885. This was followed by the arrival of Sir William Mackinnon's British East Africa Company in 1888, after the company received to the Kenya coast from the Sultan for a 50 year period.

Later, in exchange for German control over the coast of Tanganyika, Germany handed over its coastal holdings to the British Empire.

Due to financial difficulties of the British East African Company, the British government established direct rule through the East African Protectorate and then opened the fertile highlands to white settlers.

A key to the occupation of Kenya's interior was the construction of the railroad from Mombasa to Kisumu, on Lake Victoria which was completed in 1901. This was the first piece of the Uganda Railway.

Kenya-Uganda railway near Mombassa, about 1899.

A key part of Kenya history is the Kenya-Uganda Railway,
near Mombasa, shown here about 1899.
The British faced strong opposition from the locals in building the railway. A Nandi leader and diviner, Koitalel Arap Samoei, prophesied that a black snake would tear through Nandi land spitting fire. This was later seen at the railway line.

He fought against the builders of the railway line for several years and was eventually assassinated by the British who were determined to continue the railway line.

The Legislative Council gave partial voice to the settlers in 1907 with most of the powers remaining in the hands of the Governor. In 1920 the settlers achieved a milestone in Kenya history by transforming Kenya in to a Crown Colony which gave them more powers.

The Africans were excluded from direct political participation until 1944, when the first of them was admitted in the Council.

The Kenya African Union (KAU), an African nationalist organization significant to Kenya history, was birthed from a political protest movement by the Young Kikuyu Association demanding access to white owned land. Its presidency was given to Jomo Kenyatta in 1947.

Rebellion by the Mau Mau against British colonial rule put Kenya under a state of emergency from October 1952 to December 1959. African participation in the political process quickly developed and in 1957 the first direct elections for Africans to the Legislative Council took place.

Facts About Kenya Independent History

A government was formed by the Kenya African National Union (KANU) of Jomo Kenyatta, shortly before Kenya became independent on December 12, 1963. Kenyatta became Kenya's first president on the establishment of a republic, a year later, marking yet another milestone in Kenya history.

KANU was joined by members of a dissolved minority party, the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU). A single party system under KANU was established in Kenya after a leftist opposition party, the Kenya People's Union (KPU) was banned.

In 1978, after Kenyatta's death, Daniel arap Moi was elected president of KANU. The National Assembly amended the constitution in 1982, and made Kenya an official one-party state.

Parliament repealed the one-party section of the constitution after local and foreign pressure, in December 1991. Multi party elections gave KANU Party a majority of seats in 1992, and Moi was re-elected for a further five years.

Political parties expanded from 11 to 26 in November of 1997. Moi was re-elected as President and the KANU Party narrowly kept its parliamentary majority.

Constitutionally barred from running in December 2002, Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya's first President, was unsuccessfully promoted by Moi as his successor. A coalition of opposition parties ousted the ruling KANU party, and its leader Mwai Kibabki, Moi's former vice-president was elected President by a large majority.

2009 Kenyan President Mwaki Kibaki

Present day Kenya history hails Mwaki Kibaki as their 2009 country president.

Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga, was sworn as Prime Minister of Kenya on April 17, 2008.

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