The Kenya African Union ( KAU ) was a political organization in colonial Kenya, formed in October 1944 prior to the appointment of the first African to sit in the Legislative Council. In 1960 it became the current Kenya African National Union (KANU).
148-537: KAU was formed on October 1, 1944, with the veteran political leader Harry Thuku as its president. Francis Joseph Khamisi became its secretary while Albert Owino became its Treasurer. It had a Representative Committee of seven which included John K. Kebaso (South Nyanza), James Samuel Gichuru (Central), Jimmy Jeremiah (Coast), Simeon Mulandi (Ukambani), Harry L. Nangurai (Maasai) and S.B. Jakeyo (Central Nyanza). Nine days later, on October 10, 1944, Governor Sir Philip Mitchell appointed Eliud Mathu to become
296-464: A Christian name for his upcoming baptism, he first chose both John and Peter after Jesus' apostles . Forced by the missionaries to choose just one, he chose Johnstone, the -stone chosen as a reference to Peter. Accordingly, he was baptized as Johnstone Kamau in August 1914. After his baptism, Kenyatta moved out of the mission dormitory and lived with friends. Having completed his apprenticeship to
444-512: A Gold Coast (Ghanaian) who arrived in Britain earlier that year. Kenyatta spoke at the conference, although made no particular impact on the proceedings. Much of the debate that took place centred on whether indigenous Africans should continue pursuing a gradual campaign for independence or whether they should seek the military overthrow of the European imperialists. The conference ended with
592-750: A farm labourer in Sussex during the Second World War . Influenced by his friend George Padmore , he embraced anti-colonialist and Pan-African ideas, co-organising the 1945 Pan-African Congress in Manchester . He returned to Kenya in 1946 and became a school principal. In 1947, he was elected President of the Kenya African Union , through which he lobbied for independence from British colonial rule, attracting widespread indigenous support but animosity from white settlers . In 1952, he
740-746: A "Kenya Plan" which proposed greater white settlement in Kenya, bringing Tanganyika into the British Empire, and incorporating it within their new British East African Dominion. In April 1950, Kenyatta was present at a joint meeting of KAU and the East African Indian National Congress in which they both expressed opposition to the Kenya Plan. By 1952, Kenyatta was widely recognized as a national leader, both by his supporters and by his opponents. As KAU leader, he
888-991: A "scapegoat", while the historian A. B. Assensoh later suggested that the authorities "knew very well" that Kenyatta was not involved in the Mau Mau, but that they were nevertheless committed to silencing his calls for independence. The trial took place in Kapenguria , a remote area near the Ugandan border that the authorities hoped would not attract crowds or attention. Together, Kenyatta, Bildad Kaggia , Fred Kubai , Paul Ngei , Achieng Oneko and Kung'u Karumba —the " Kapenguria Six "—were put on trial. The defendants assembled an international and multiracial team of defence lawyers, including Chaman Lall , H. O. Davies , F. R. S. De Souza , and Dudley Thompson , led by British barrister and Member of Parliament Denis Nowell Pritt . Pritt's involvement brought much media attention; during
1036-564: A brief tour of Central Kenya to familiarize himself with the situation. He met headmen, chiefs, priests, settlers and other influential members of society, and soon concluded that there was an impending state of anarchy that would almost certainly become unmanageable in due course. He returned to Nairobi and on October 10, 1952, cabled the Secretary of State for the Colonies Oliver Lyttelton seeking permission to declare
1184-872: A certificate in English writing. In Britain, Kenyatta befriended an Afro-Caribbean Marxist, George Padmore , who was working for the Soviet-run Comintern . Over time, he became Padmore's protégé. In late 1932, he joined Padmore in Germany. Before the end of the year, the duo relocated to Moscow, where Kenyatta studied at the Communist University of the Toilers of the East . There he was taught arithmetic, geography, natural science, and political economy, as well as Marxist-Leninist doctrine and
1332-852: A deputation to the United Nations Conference in Paris where they presented a petition entitled “Land Hunger in Kenya” which called for an urgent solution to the Land question in Kenya with regard to the Africans. The same year, radical members of the KAU in the Nairobi Branch formed a ‘Central Committee’ known as “Muhimu” (Kiswahili for ‘Important’) which began to plan more militant methods to achieve Independence. They began oathing members in
1480-629: A homestead near River Thiririka, where they raised crops and bred sheep and goats. Muigai was sufficiently wealthy that he could afford to keep several wives, each living in a separate nyũmba (woman's hut). Kenyatta was raised according to traditional Kikuyu custom and belief, and was taught the skills needed to herd the family flock. When he was 10 years old, his earlobes were pierced to mark his transition from childhood. Wambui subsequently bore another son, Kongo, shortly before Muigai died. In keeping with Kikuyu tradition, Wambui then married her late husband's younger brother, Ngengi. Kenyatta then took
1628-521: A letter published in The Manchester Guardian . He also wrote the entry on Kenya for Negro , an anthology edited by Nancy Cunard and published in 1934. In these, he took a more radical position than he had in the past, calling for complete self-rule in Kenya. In doing so he was virtually alone among political Kenyans; figures like Thuku and Jesse Kariuki were far more moderate in their demands. The pro-independence sentiments that he
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#17327724324331776-572: A loose political federation known as the Kenya Independence Movement (KIM), met at Kirigiti stadium in Kiambu to discuss the formation of a nationwide political party. Delegates from various political movements across the country were in attendance. Months earlier, in August 1959, eight of the 14 African elected members announced the formation of a moderate Kenya National Party (KNP). Headed by MLC for Nyanza North Masinde Muliro,
1924-408: A martyr for the anti-colonialist cause. They thought it better that he be convicted and imprisoned, although at the time had nothing to charge him with, and so began searching his personal files for evidence of criminal activity. Eventually, they charged him and five senior KAU members with masterminding the Mau Mau, a proscribed group. The historian John M. Lonsdale stated that Kenyatta had been made
2072-663: A member of the Nyeri Branch. Mau Mau evolved out of the Kikuyu Central Association which was proscribed in 1939. Both societies relied on similar oath-taking ceremonies to initiate new members; both were subversive. Shortly after its inauguration in 1944, the KAU was penetrated by the influence of former Kikuyu Central Association and by 1947 became dominated by ex-KCA leaders and members” During one of his radio addresses, acting Chief Native Commissioner Sir Edward H. Windley stated: “The Kenya African Union
2220-700: A number of reforms including the abolition by law of racial discrimination, the extension of education facilities to Africans, elections for African members and increased African representation in the Legislative Council. They also demanded a common roll for all three races with equal seats for Africans and non-Africans. They also demanded commissioned ranks for Africans in the Armed Forces and senior civil service posts; assistance in agricultural development; equal pay for equal qualifications and work and freedom of speech and assembly. The Emergency dealt
2368-754: A permanent split between Thuku and the rising generation of the future leaders of Kenya. He was strongly opposed to the Mau Mau movement. On 12 December 1952 he broadcast to the nation, saying that "To-day we, the Kikuyu , stand ashamed and looked upon as hopeless people in the eyes of other races and before the Government. Why? Because of the crimes perpetrated by Mau Mau and because the Kikuyu have made themselves Mau Mau." On 28 January 1954 he joined twenty two other Kikuyu leaders at Kabete in subscribing to an appeal to
2516-467: A public rally at the Kirigiti Stadium in Kiambu on August 24, 1952. The meeting, which was attended by all the Kikuyu notables, had been called to specifically denounce the Mau Mau. One of those who addressed the meeting was Senior Chief Waruhiu Kungu . It was the death of Senior Chief Waruhiu Kungu on October 7, 1952, that convinced Governor Baring that something had to be done. Chief Waruhiu
2664-451: A regular at the village pub, where he gained the nickname "Jumbo". In August 1940, he took a job at a local farm as an agricultural worker—allowing him to evade military conscription —before working in the tomato greenhouses at Lindfield . He attempted to join the local Home Guard , but was turned down. On 11 May 1942 he married an English woman, Edna Grace Clarke, at Chanctonbury Registry Office . In August 1943, their son, Peter Magana,
2812-522: A request to return to Kenya in September 1946, sailing back that month. He decided not to bring Edna—who was pregnant with a second child —with him, aware that if they joined him in Kenya their lives would be made very difficult by the colony's racial laws. On his arrival in Mombasa, Kenyatta was greeted by his first wife, Grace Wahu and their children. He built a bungalow at Gatundu , near to where he
2960-491: A right to a direct say in the running of our country and to education." —Kenyatta, during World War II After the United Kingdom entered World War II in September 1939, Kenyatta and Stock moved to the Sussex village of Storrington . Kenyatta remained there for the duration of the war, renting a flat and a small plot of land to grow vegetables and raise chickens. He settled into rural Sussex life, and became
3108-507: A secret organization known as the Mau Mau . The “Muhimu” led by Eliud Mutonyi (Chairman), Isaac Gathanju (Secretary), Bildad Kaggia, Paul Ngei, and Fred Kubai as members, coordinated the Mau Mau activities and administration of oaths. The oathing began in Nairobi slums and soon morphed into active oathing in Kiambu, Fort Hall (presently Murang’a County ), and Nyeri. Soon after his arrival to take up his governorship, Sir Evelyn Baring made
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#17327724324333256-492: A severe blow to the KAU and most of its leaders, particularly those from Central Kenya, were either arrested or had to flee to avoid arrest. Odede took over the leadership of KAU on an acting capacity but he too was arrested on March 8, 1953, again on suspicions of sympathizing with the Mau Mau. KAU was eventually banned on June 8, 1953, eight months into the Emergency. The ban coincided with the arrival of British troops to boost
3404-409: A skin cloak over one shoulder and carrying a spear. The book was published under the name "Jomo Kenyatta", the first time that he had done so; the term Jomo was close to a Kikuyu word describing the removal of a sword from its scabbard. Facing Mount Kenya was a commercial failure, selling only 517 copies, but was generally well received; an exception was among white Kenyans, whose assumptions about
3552-401: A speaking tour in which he denounced the Mau Mau to assembled crowds, insisting that independence must be achieved through peaceful means. In August he attended a much-publicised mass meeting in Kiambu where—in front of 30,000 people—he said that "Mau Mau has spoiled the country. Let Mau Mau perish forever. All people should search for Mau Mau and kill it." Despite Kenyatta's vocal opposition to
3700-573: A state of Emergency in the colony. Four days later, on October 14, 1952, Lyttelton in response stated, “I approve your proposal to declare a state of Emergency under Emergency Powers Order in Council, 1939, and to take action against Kenyatta and his henchmen. I shall give you my full support in thus maintaining law and order.” Five days later, Governor Baring declared a state of Emergency in Kenya. The following day on October 20, 1952, KAU leaders Jomo Kenyatta and several other leaders were arrested under
3848-634: A statement declaring that while delegates desired a peaceful transition to African self-rule, Africans "as a last resort, may have to appeal to force in the effort to achieve Freedom". Kenyatta supported this resolution, although was more cautious than other delegates and made no open commitment to violence. He subsequently authored an IASB pamphlet, Kenya: The Land of Conflict , in which he blended political calls for independence with romanticised descriptions of an idealised pre-colonial African past. After British victory in World War II, Kenyatta received
3996-566: A student, studying an English course between January and July 1935 and then a phonetics course from October 1935 to June 1936. Enabled by a grant from the International African Institute , he also took a social anthropology course under Bronisław Malinowski at the London School of Economics (LSE). Kenyatta lacked the qualifications normally required to join the course, but Malinowski was keen to support
4144-458: A topic of strong debate in Kikuyu society. The Protestant churches, backed by European medics and the colonial authorities, supported the abolition of this traditional practice , but the KCA rallied to its defence, claiming that its abolition would damage the structure of Kikuyu society. Anger between the two sides had heightened, several churches expelling KCA members from their congregations, and it
4292-528: A towering national figure. He was considered the natural leader in the quest for Independence and consequently steered the KAU towards a more nationalistic agenda with the attainment of independence in mind. In May 1948, Governor Mitchell appointed John Kipsugut araap Chemallan , a pioneer radio broadcaster to the Legislative Council to represent the Northern and Rift Valley Provinces and the Maasai. Eliud Mathu
4440-512: A typesetter for the Leader , a European settler newspaper. In 1918, he rose to the position of a clerk-telegraph operator in the government treasury office in Nairobi . He accumulated vast experience while he was working for the government. Thuku was one of the first of Kenya's Africans to be fully capable of working in the English language. In association with Abdalla Tairara , Thuku helped found
4588-814: A wider pan-Africanist organisation, the International African Service Bureau (IASB), of which Kenyatta became one of the vice chairs. Kenyatta began giving anti-colonial lectures across Britain for groups like the IASB, the Workers' Educational Association , Indian National Congress of Great Britain , and the League of Coloured Peoples . In October 1938, he gave a talk to the Manchester Fabian Society in which he described British colonial policy as fascism and compared
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4736-561: Is finished. It was like a bad house destroyed because it was infected with disease, and we cannot use the same bricks to build again. It is for all you sensible and reasonable Africans who believe in good government to get together and work for it in the interests of your people, and to think now how best we can achieve it in the future.” On March 27, 1960, the African members of the Legislative Council who had coalesced around
4884-628: Is no evidence that he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , and one of his fellow students later characterised him as "the biggest reactionary I have ever met." Kenyatta also visited Siberia , probably as part of an official guided tour. The emergence of Germany's Nazi government shifted political allegiances in Europe; the Soviet Union pursued formal alliances with France and Czechoslovakia, and thus reduced its support for
5032-670: The Hilton Young Commission , which was then considering a federation between Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika . In June, he was part of a KCA team which appeared before a select committee of the Kenyan Legislative Council to express concerns about the recent introduction of Land Boards. Introduced by the British Governor of Kenya , Edward Grigg , these Land Boards would hold all land in native reserves in trust for each tribal group. Both
5180-717: The Kenya African Study Union . Opposed to the Mau Mau movement, he later retired to coffee-farming. Harry Thuku was born in Kambui in Kiambu district of Central Kenya . His family were Kikuyu , one of the ethnic groups that lost the largest amount of land to white settlers during the British takeover of Kenya. He spent four years at the school of the Kambui Gospel Mission , Harry Thuku became
5328-652: The Kenyan Indians were strained and Kenya's army clashed with Somali separatists in the North Eastern Province during the Shifta War . His government pursued capitalist economic policies and the "Africanisation" of the economy, prohibiting non-citizens from controlling key industries. Education and healthcare were expanded, while UK-funded land redistribution favoured KANU loyalists and exacerbated ethnic tensions. Under Kenyatta, Kenya joined
5476-601: The Kikuyu Central Association (KCA). Beauttah took Kenyatta to a political meeting in Pumwani , although this led to no firm involvement at the time. In either 1925 or early 1926, Beauttah moved to Uganda, but remained in contact with Kenyatta. When the KCA wrote to Beauttah and asked him to travel to London as their representative, he declined, but recommended that Kenyatta—who had a good command of English—go in his place. Kenyatta accepted, probably on
5624-587: The Kilimani neighbourhood of Nairobi, although he financed the construction of a second home at Dagoretti; he referred to this latter hut as the Kinyata Stores for he used it to hold general provisions for the neighborhood. He had sufficient funds that he could lend money to European clerks in the offices, and could enjoy the lifestyle offered by Nairobi, which included cinemas, football matches, and imported British fashions. Anti-imperialist sentiment
5772-732: The League Against Imperialism , Fenner Brockway , and Kingsley Martin . Grigg was in London at the same time and, despite his opposition to Kenyatta's visit, agreed to meet with him at the Rhodes Trust headquarters in April. At the meeting, Kenyatta raised the land issue and Thuku's exile, the atmosphere between the two being friendly. In spite of this, following the meeting, Grigg convinced Special Branch to monitor Kenyatta. Kenyatta developed contacts with radicals to
5920-662: The Operation Jock Scott . This followed the declaration of the Emergency by the new governor Sir Evelyn Baring . In November 1952, a deputation of KAU leaders which included Walter Odede, Wycliffe W.W. Awori and Joseph Murumbi, tried to meet with Lyttelton who had come to oversee the operations against the Mau Mau. They wanted to discuss the unfolding situation with him. Through Governor Baring, they sought and were granted audience with Lyttelton at Government House. But when they arrived, Lyttelton refused to even greet them greatly embarrassing Governor Baring who had arranged
6068-686: The Organisation of African Unity and the Commonwealth of Nations , espousing a pro- Western and anti-communist foreign policy amid the Cold War . Kenyatta died in office and was succeeded by Daniel arap Moi . Kenyatta's son Uhuru later also became president. Kenyatta was a controversial figure. Prior to Kenyan independence, many of its white settlers regarded him as an agitator and malcontent, although across Africa he gained widespread respect as an anti-colonialist. During his presidency, he
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6216-543: The Secretary of State for the Colonies seeking to declare a state of Emergency, Governor Baring argued that the KAU leaders, particularly Jomo Kenyatta, were at the back of Mau Mau and behind the violence. The Colonial administration was convinced beyond a doubt that the KAU was behind the Mau Mau movement. On numerous occasions, Jomo Kenyatta had in fact denounced the Mau Mau at a public meeting in February 1951 and also at
6364-691: The Student Movement House in Russell Square , which he had joined in the spring of 1934, and befriended Africans in the city. To earn money, he worked as one of 250 black extras in the film Sanders of the River , filmed at Shepperton Studios in Autumn 1934. Several other Africans in London criticized him for doing so, arguing that the film degraded black people. Appearing in the film also allowed him to meet and befriend its star,
6512-477: The Young Kikuyu Association , the first organisation to defend African interests in colonial Kenya. The Young Kikuyu Association was a non-militant group that pursued a peaceful and structured liberation struggle with the government and missions. Its main concern was for the preservation of African-owned land. Thuku argued that land was an important factor of production and that the livelihood of
6660-489: The "Saviour", "Great Elder", and "Hero of Our Race". He was nevertheless aware that to achieve independence, KAU needed the support of other indigenous tribes and ethnic groups. This was made difficult by the fact that many Maasai and Luo —tribes traditionally hostile to the Kikuyu—regarded him as an advocate of Kikuyu dominance. He insisted on intertribal representation on the KAU executive and ensured that party business
6808-432: The 15th, passed off peacefully, dispersing after a public prayer for Thuku's safety. On 16 March 1922, a crowd of 7,000 to 8,000 of his supporters gathered around the Nairobi police station to demand his release from detention. The police eventually opened fire on the demonstrators, killing at least 25 of them, and possibly as many as 56 killed according to African workers at the Nairobi mortuary. White civilians joined in
6956-591: The African-American Paul Robeson . In 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia (Abyssinia) , incensing Kenyatta and other Africans in London; he became the honorary secretary of the International African Friends of Abyssinia , a group established by Padmore and C. L. R. James . When Ethiopia's monarch Haile Selassie fled to London in exile, Kenyatta personally welcomed him at Waterloo station . This group developed into
7104-457: The Africans were able to choose their own representations through an election for 8 new seats created for the Africans. Further pressure from the Africans saw the seats expanded to 14 and a by-election was held in 1958 to increase the membership. Among its main achievements, the KAU helped united various communities in Kenya under the banner of national unity. The Luo and the Kikuyu seemed particularly close politically and they would eventually merge
7252-549: The British imperialists either by paying taxes or obeying any of their slave laws! We can fight in unity with the workers and toilers of the whole world, and for a Free Africa." —Kenyatta in the Labour Monthly , November 1933 In May 1931, Kenyatta and Parmenas Githendu Mockerie sailed for Britain, intent on representing the KCA at a Joint Committee of Parliament on the future of East Africa. Kenyatta would not return to Kenya for fifteen years. In Britain, he spent
7400-669: The Church Mission Society. His landlord subsequently impounded his belongings due to unpaid debt. In the city, Kenyatta met with W. McGregor Ross at the Royal Empire Society , Ross briefing him on how to deal with the Colonial Office. Kenyatta became friends with Ross' family, and accompanied them to social events in Hampstead . He also contacted anti-imperialists active in Britain, including
7548-411: The Church of Scotland in Kenya—later expelled Kenyatta from the church, citing what he deemed dishonesty during the debate. In 1931, Kenyatta took his son out of the church school at Thogota and enrolled him in a KCA-approved, independent school. "With the support of all revolutionary workers and peasants we must redouble our efforts to break the bonds that bind us. We must refuse to give any support to
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#17327724324337696-490: The Committee members Simeon Mulandi , had been the leader of the Ukamba Member’s Union which had been banned alongside the KCA. Under Gichuru, the party took a more nationalistic path. During the Second Delegates Conference, Joseph D. Otiende from North Nyanza (now Western Kenya), was elected vice president of the party, giving the party a more national outlook. Like Gichuru, Otiende had studied at Makerere and had also taught at Alliance High School. They had joined Makerere in
7844-446: The East African Association, which was renamed the Kikuyu Provincial Association in 1935, devoted to legal, non-militant protest. In 1944 he founded the Kenya African Study Union, the precursor of the Kenya African Union . Harry Thuku's ideals and approach were one strand in the larger African struggle for political and economic independence from the late 1940s to 1960s. However, Thuku's advocacy of moderation in political struggle caused
7992-411: The Emergency was declared, there has been a connection between many members of the Kenya African Union and the Mau Mau terrorists.” “As an illustration of the connection of many KAU members with the violent Mau Mau movement, two of the most wanted terrorists in Kenya, Dedan Kimathi and Stanley Mathenge are both KAU members, Kimathi having been Secretary of the Rumuruti-Thompson’s Falls Branch and Mathenge
8140-543: The KCA and the Kikuyu Association opposed these Land Boards, which treated Kikuyu land as collectively-owned rather than recognising individual Kikuyu land ownership. Also in February, his daughter, Wambui Margaret, was born. By this point he was increasingly using the name "Kenyatta", which had a more African appearance than "Johnstone". In May 1928, the KCA launched a Kikuyu-language magazine, Mũigwithania (roughly translated as "The Reconciler" or "The Unifier"), in which it published news, articles, and homilies. Its purpose
8288-434: The Kikuyu being primitive savages in need of European civilization it challenged. Murray-Brown later described it as "a propaganda tour de force . No other African had made such an uncompromising stand for tribal integrity." Bodil Folke Frederiksen, a scholar of development studies , referred to it as "probably the most well-known and influential African scholarly work of its time", while for fellow scholar Simon Gikandi, it
8436-404: The Kikuyu community who did not support them. By 1959, the Mau Mau had killed around 1,880 people. For many young Mau Mau militants, Kenyatta was regarded as a hero, and they included his name in the oaths they gave to the organisation; such oathing was a Kikuyu custom by which individuals pledged allegiance to another. Kenyatta publicly distanced himself from the Mau Mau. In April 1952, he began
8584-418: The Kikuyu people, who are primarily farmers, risked being lost. His message reverberated strongly not only within his immediate Kikuyu tribe but also with other farming communities in Kenya and Africa. From 1920 to 1921 Thuku served as the secretary to the Kikuyu Association. However, he was more interested in action-oriented measures to address the rising economic challenges facing Kenyan Africans, realizing that
8732-402: The Kikuyu—following World War I, among them the campaigns of Harry Thuku and the East African Association, resulting in the government massacre of 21 native protesters in March 1922. Kenyatta had not taken part in these events, perhaps so as not to disrupt his lucrative employment prospects. Kenyatta's interest in politics stemmed from his friendship with James Beauttah , a senior figure in
8880-434: The Legislative Council, better pay and better working conditions, return of alienated lands issuance of title deeds to Africans, respect of African culture, compensation of African ex-soldiers, an end of racial discrimination and release of political prisoners. The party began recruiting members nationwide. On June 10, 1951, the KAU demanded an end to colonial rule and Independence within three years. In November 1951, KAU sent
9028-451: The Legislative Council. In January 1946, Governor Mitchell appointed Fanwell Walter Odede to sit at the Legislative Council to replace Rev. Leonard J. Beecher in an acting capacity. Odede remained at the Legislative Council until 1947 when Beecher decided to resign from the Legislative Council altogether. But rather than appoint Odede substantively, Governor Mitchell, decided to appoint Benaiah Apolo Ohanga to replace Beecher and revoked
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#17327724324339176-435: The March 1960 meeting at Kirigiti in Kiambu, a committee was formed to establish a prominent ‘Uhuru’ political party. That committee, chaired by James Gichuru and Dr. Njoroge Mungai as secretary, also had Oginga Odinga, Dr. Gikonyo Kiano and Tom Mboya among its members. They were tasked to draft the constitution for a new political party. They settled on the name KANU. On May 14, 1960, a second meeting at Kirigiti took place and
9324-449: The Mau Mau decisively. Upon arrival, General Sir George Erskine addressed the Press saying: “…there is no doubt that there are members of the Kenya African Union who have no connections with the violent movement. But the action has been taken because the government has satisfied itself that there is ample evidence to show that the Kenya African Union has been used as a cover by the Mau Mu terrorist organization and that both before and after
9472-455: The Mau Mau, KAU had moved towards a position of greater militancy. At its 1951 AGM, more militant African nationalists had taken senior positions and the party officially announced its call for Kenyan independence within three years. In January 1952, KAU members formed a secret Central Committee devoted to direct action, formulated along a cell structure . Whatever Kenyatta's views on these developments, he had little ability to control them. He
9620-446: The Soviet Union, suspecting that he was a Marxist-Leninist, and following his return the MI5 intelligence service intercepted and read all his mail. Kenyatta continued writing articles, reflecting Padmore's influence. Between 1931 and 1937 he wrote several articles for the Negro Worker and joined the newspaper's editorial board in 1933. He also produced an article for a November 1933 issue of Labour Monthly , and in May 1934 had
9768-426: The Thogota Kirk Session and suspended from taking Holy Communion ; the suspension was in response to his drinking and his relations with Wahu out of wedlock. The church insisted that a traditional Kikuyu wedding would be inadequate, and that he must undergo a Christian marriage; this took place on 8 November 1922. Kenyatta had initially refused to cease drinking, but in July 1923 officially renounced alcohol and
9916-421: The appointment of Odede. And so officially, Ohanga became the second African to be appointed to the Legislative Council. In September 1946, Jomo Kenyatta returned to Kenya and in June 1947, James Gichuru stepped down as President of KAU in favour of Jomo Kenyatta. After spending many years in England representing the grievances of the Africans, Kenyatta had captured the imagination of many Kenyans and had become
10064-451: The armed forces, and like other Kikuyu he moved to live among the Maasai , who had refused to fight for the British. Kenyatta lived with the family of an aunt who had married a Maasai chief, adopting Maasai customs and wearing Maasai jewellery, including a beaded belt known as kĩnyata in the Kikuyu language . At some point, he took to calling himself "Kĩnyata" or "Kenyatta" after this garment. In 1917, Kenyatta moved to Narok , where he
10212-422: The association's aims. The settler-dominated colony was not yet ready for any forceful representation of African economic, social and political views, and moved to ban national political movements. On 14 March 1922, Thuku was arrested in connection with his political activities. On the two following days, there were demonstrations initiated by Mary Muthoni Nyanjiru to protest his arrest. The first demonstration, on
10360-409: The book reflected Kenyatta's desire to use anthropology as a weapon against colonialism. In it, Kenyatta challenged the Eurocentric view of history by presenting an image of a golden African past by emphasising the perceived order, virtue, and self-sufficiency of Kikuyu society. Utilising a functionalist framework, he promoted the idea that traditional Kikuyu society had a cohesion and integrity that
10508-399: The carpenter, Kenyatta requested that the mission allow him to be an apprentice stonemason, but they refused. He then requested that the mission recommend him for employment, but the head missionary refused because of an allegation of minor dishonesty. Kenyatta moved to Thika , where he worked for an engineering firm run by the Briton John Cook. In this position, he was tasked with fetching
10656-476: The churches, district commissioners, and chiefs. He also praised the British Empire, stating that: "The first thing [about the Empire] is that all people are governed justly, big or small—equally. The second thing is that nobody is regarded as a slave, everyone is free to do what he or she likes without being hindered." This did not prevent Grigg from writing to the authorities in London requesting permission to shut
10804-530: The cockerel as its symbol. Indeed the old KAU had roared back to life. In many ways, the banning of the KAU in June 1953, did not quite extinguish its influence as a political party. Throughout the Emergency, African political activities were completely under check, but the Colonial administration was careful not to push the Africans too far. They instituted reforms meant to deal with the situation that had fomented
10952-573: The college. Under Kenyatta's leadership, additional funds were raised for the construction of school buildings and the number of boys in attendance rose from 250 to 900. It was also beset with problems, including a decline in standards and teachers' strikes over non-payment of wages. Gradually, the number of enrolled pupils fell. Kenyatta built a friendship with Koinange's father, a Senior Chief, who gave Kenyatta one of his daughters to take as his third wife. They had another child, but she died in childbirth. In 1951, he married his fourth wife, Ngina , who
11100-403: The colonial authorities. In 1932 Thuku became president of the Kikuyu Central Association , then Kenya's foremost African political group. Although dissension arose among the loyalists and the co-opted leaders of the association, which was fomented by the colonial powers of the day. The power struggles split the organisation into factions. Harry Thuku went on to re-assemble the loyal remnants of
11248-475: The colony's economic position. Thuku's political and economic vision for the native African is widely credited as an important underlying common theme that was adopted and greatly characterised the greater African struggle for economic and political independence. Robert I. Rotberg describes Thuku as the "first Kikuyu nationalist." In July 1921 Thuku founded the East African Association ,
11396-711: The company wages from a bank in Nairobi, 25 miles (40 km) away. Kenyatta left the job when he became seriously ill; he recuperated at a friend's house in the Tumutumu Presbyterian mission. At the time, the British Empire was engaged in the First World War , and the British Army had recruited many Kikuyu. One of those who joined was Kongo, who disappeared during the conflict; his family never learned of his fate. Kenyatta did not join
11544-536: The condition that the Association matched his pre-existing wage. He thus became the group's secretary. It is likely that the KCA purchased a motorbike for Kenyatta, which he used to travel around Kikuyuland and neighbouring areas inhabited by the Meru and Embu , helping to establish new KCA branches. In February 1928, he was part of a KCA party that visited Government House in Nairobi to give evidence in front of
11692-501: The constitutional process and discourage violence and extremism. After eighteen months in Europe, Kenyatta had run out of money. The Anti-Slavery Society advanced him funds to pay off his debts and return to Kenya. Although Kenyatta enjoyed life in London and feared arrest if he returned home, he sailed back to Mombasa in September 1930. On his return, his prestige among the Kikuyu was high because of his time spent in Europe. In his absence, female genital mutilation (FGM) had become
11840-571: The country, including to groups of East African soldiers stationed in Britain. He became frustrated by the distance between him and Kenya, telling Edna that he felt "like a general separated by 5000 miles from his troops". While he was absent, Kenya's authorities banned the KCA in 1940. Kenyatta and other senior IASB members began planning the fifth Pan-African Congress , held in Manchester in October 1945. They were assisted by Kwame Nkrumah ,
11988-412: The court, Kenyatta stated that he and the others did not recognise the judge's findings; they claimed that the government had used them as scapegoats as a pretext to shut down KAU. The historian Wunyabari O. Maloba later characterised it as "a rigged political trial with a predetermined outcome". The government followed the verdict with a wider crackdown, banning KAU in June 1953, and closing down most of
12136-519: The customs without knowing the part they play in the life of the Kikuyu ;... They upset the life of the people." —Kenyatta, in a BBC interview, 1963 In November 1909, Kenyatta left home and enrolled as a pupil at the Church of Scotland Mission (CSM) at Thogoto . The missionaries were zealous Christians who believed that bringing Christianity to the indigenous peoples of Eastern Africa
12284-572: The delegates ratified the formation of a new political party named the Kenya African National Union . They presented their registration documents to the Registrar of Societies David John Coward . They received the registration documents on June 11, 1960 with James Gichuru as president, Oginga Odinga as Vice President and Tom Mboya as Secretary General. They retained the old KAU flag complete with its colours and adopted
12432-624: The different political ideologies into a more cogent national party named the Kenya African National Union (KANU). The new party, formed in 1960 under KAU’s erstwhile leader James Gichuru, eventually led to the attainment of self-rule in June 1963 after sweeping the polls against its more moderate rival the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU). Independence was achieved under the KANU government on December 12, 1964. Harry Thuku Harry Thuku (1895 – 14 June 1970)
12580-616: The effort against the Mau Mau. Prior to Odede's arrest, the Luo Union under the Ker Oginga Odinga, issued a statement supporting KAU and this raised fears that the influence of the Mau Mau would spread to Nyanza. After Odede's arrest, the other influential Nyanza leader Wycliffe Works Wasya Awori was constantly harassed even as he demanded the African MLCs be allowed to hold meetings as they wanted. In his submissions to
12728-626: The first African to sit in the Kenya Legislative Council . This appointment marked an important turning point in the political development of the Africans. The following month in November 1944, at the insistence of the Governor, the name ‘Study’ was added to the name becoming the Kenya African Study Union . The Governor stated that the name ‘Study’ was meant to make it a “colony-wide African body to provide an organization where
12876-554: The first multi-ethnic political organization in East Africa. Based in Nairobi , the East African Association drew its members from many tribal groups, though most members were Kikuyu . Unusually for the time, the East African Association also involved a number of women. It campaigned against the kipande system of pass controls, and the forced labour. The colonial Kenyan government was heavily opposed to
13024-497: The history of the Marxist-Leninist movement. Many Africans and members of the African diaspora were attracted to the institution because it offered free education and the opportunity to study in an environment where they were treated with dignity, free from the institutionalised racism present in the U.S. and British Empire. Kenyatta complained about the food, accommodation, and poor quality of English instruction. There
13172-505: The independent schools in the country, including Kenyatta's. It appropriated his land at Gatundu and demolished his house. Kenyatta and the others were returned to Lokitaung, where they resided on remand while awaiting the results of the appeal process. Pritt pointed out that Thacker had been appointed magistrate for the wrong district, a technicality voiding the whole trial; the Supreme Court of Kenya concurred and Kenyatta and
13320-453: The latter in his role as a traditional healer . "Missionaries have done a lot of good work because it was through the missionary that many of the Kikuyu got their first education ... and were able to learn how to read and write ... Also, the medical side of it: the missionary did very well. At the same time I think the missionaries ... did not understand the value of the African custom, and many of them tried to stamp out some of
13468-580: The latter's case in a land dispute before a Nairobi court. Desiring a wife, Kenyatta entered a relationship with Grace Wahu , who had attended the CMS School in Kabete ; she initially moved into Kenyatta's family homestead, although she joined Kenyatta in Dagoretti when Ngengi drove her out. On 20 November 1920 she gave birth to Kenyatta's son, Peter Muigui. In October 1920, Kenyatta was called before
13616-746: The left of the Labour Party , including several communists . In the summer of 1929, he left London and traveled by Berlin to Moscow before returning to London in October. Kenyatta was strongly influenced by his time in the Soviet Union . Back in England, he wrote three articles on the Kenyan situation for the Communist Party of Great Britain 's newspapers, the Daily Worker and Sunday Worker . In these, his criticism of British imperialism
13764-582: The magazine down. After the KCA raised sufficient funds, in February 1929 Kenyatta sailed from Mombasa to Britain. Grigg's administration could not stop Kenyatta's journey but asked London's Colonial Office not to meet with him. He initially stayed at the West African Students' Union premises in West London , where he met Ladipo Solanke . He then lodged with a prostitute; both this and Kenyatta's lavish spending brought concern from
13912-400: The meeting. Speaking to them separately, Baring asked them to disassociate themselves with Kenyatta and the arrested leaders of KAU. They tried but were unable to convince the Governor that the KAU did not have any Mau Mau adherents in its ranks, and tried to exonerate Kenyatta from any links with the Mau Mau. During the meeting, The KAU deputation presented a petition to the Governor seeking
14060-763: The movement against British and French colonial rule in Africa. As a result, Comintern disbanded the International Trade Union Committee of Negro Workers , with which both Padmore and Kenyatta were affiliated. Padmore resigned from the Soviet Communist Party in protest, and was subsequently vilified in the Soviet press. Both Padmore and Kenyatta left the Soviet Union, the latter returning to London in August 1933. The British authorities were highly suspicious of Kenyatta's time in
14208-469: The name of Kamau wa Ngengi ("Kamau, son of Ngengi"). Wambui bore her new husband a son, whom they also named Muigai. Ngengi was harsh and resentful toward the three boys, and Wambui decided to take her youngest son to live with her parental family further north. It was there that she died, and Kenyatta—who was very fond of the younger Muigai—travelled to collect his infant half-brother. Kenyatta then moved in with his grandfather, Kongo wa Magana, and assisted
14356-473: The new party adopted multi-racialism and even integrated Europeans in its ranks among them S.V. Cooke the European MLC from Mombasa. They also attracted several Asians and Arabs. To counter this move, Tom Mboya and five other African MLCs announced the formation of an all-African Kenya Independence Movement (KIM), declaring that 'African freedom will be achieved only through African nationalism.' During
14504-519: The new party. They also lacked adequate funds for operations and for a long time did not have a fixed address. In January 1945, Thuku resigned, and at the first Delegates Conference held on February 3, 1945, his place was taken over by James Gichuru , a Makerere-trained teacher who had resigned from his teaching position at Alliance High School. Thuku was considered a bit of a moderate taking this position after returning from his decade-long detention for political agitation. James Gichuru quickly reorganized
14652-543: The organisation was becoming heavily political and thus ill-equipped to achieve the association's original objectives of economic emancipation. In 1921, he stepped down from his position at the Kikuyu Association. Kenyan Africans were suffering economic difficulties, and the Europeans who were now in control of vast swathes of the local economy wanted to further cut Native African wages on the pretext of reviving
14800-484: The other KAU members—now calling themselves the "National Democratic Party"—on the other. In one incident, one of his rivals made an unsuccessful attempt to stab Kenyatta at breakfast. Kenyatta's health had deteriorated in prison; manacles had caused problems for his feet and he had eczema across his body. Kenyatta's imprisonment transformed him into a political martyr for many Kenyans, further enhancing his status. A Luo anti-colonial activist, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga ,
14948-713: The others were freed in July 1953, only to be immediately re-arrested. The government took the case to the East African Court of Appeal , which reversed the Supreme Court's decision in August. The appeals process resumed in October 1953, and in January 1954 the Supreme Court upheld the convictions against all but Oneko. Pritt finally took the case to the Privy Council in London, but they refused his petition without providing an explanation. He later noted that this
15096-405: The outbreak of the Mau Mau rebellion in the first place. Some of the recommendations of the KAU were implemented including the expansion of African representation in both the Legislative Council and the executive council. In 1954, KAU member Benaiah Ohanga was appointed to the executive council becoming the first African minister. More Africans were appointed to the Legislative Council. In March 1957,
15244-439: The participation of indigenous peoples in anthropological research. For Kenyatta, acquiring an advanced degree would bolster his status among Kenyans and display his intellectual equality with white Europeans in Kenya. Over the course of his studies, Kenyatta and Malinowski became close friends. Fellow course-mates included the anthropologists Audrey Richards , Lucy Mair , and Elspeth Huxley . Another of his fellow LSE students
15392-584: The party and expanded the Delegates. He launched a newspaper “Sauti ya Mwafrika” (Voice of the African) which was edited by Francis Khamisi. The paper articulated the grievances of the Africans. In the next Delegates Conference in February 1946, the name ‘Study’ was dropped and the party reverted to its old name KAU. At this point, KAU was considered by many to be a reincarnation of the Kikuyu Central Association (KCA) which had been banned in 1939. In fact, one of
15540-422: The party’s objectives included advancing African interests, constitutional reforms, and fighting for better living and working conditions for Africans. KAU also helped coordinate nationalist activities and to unite Kenyan Africans towards a common cause. Initially, KAU enjoyed cordial relations with the Colonial administration but then the relationship quickly turned sour, particularly with the exit of Harry Thuku who
15688-502: The patronising way many of the British missionaries treated them. Kenyatta's academic progress was unremarkable, and in July 1912 he became an apprentice to the mission's carpenter. That year, he professed his dedication to Christianity and began undergoing catechism . In 1913, he underwent the Kikuyu circumcision ritual; the missionaries generally disapproved of this custom, but it was an important aspect of Kikuyu tradition, allowing Kenyatta to be recognized as an adult. Asked to take
15836-571: The people to renounce and denounce Mau Mau . Thuku later retired to a successful life in coffee-farming in Kabete , Central province, Kenya. One of the first Kikuyu to win a coffee licence, in 1959 he became the first African board member of the Kenya Planters Coffee Union. He died on 14 June 1970. After independence, Harry Thuku Road in Nairobi was named after him. Jomo Kenyatta Jomo Kenyatta CGH ( c. 1897 – 22 August 1978)
15984-406: The political process, but those co-opted individuals and a host more who were interested in classical African political rights remained actively engaged. Thuku was given permission to return to Kiambu in January 1931. By that time, the colonial government allowed formation of tribal based political parties restricted to some tribal 'homelands' only. This was done to avoid national uprising against
16132-466: The same year (1933) and had also been students at Alliance High School before that. The KAU demanded an end to the ‘Kipande system’, the identification system much loathed by the Africans. Eliud Mathu successfully had it repealed in what was one of the major triumphs by the Africans. Other demands by the KAU included the abolition of taxes designed only for Africans, the return of alienated land, equal pay for equal work, and increased African representation at
16280-531: The shooting, and may have shot some of the protesters in the back. Thuku was exiled, without charge or trial, to Kismayu in the Northern Frontier Province of Kenya, in present-day Somalia . During Thuku's absence, the government of the day tried to co-opt the association leadership with monetary inducements and piece-meal reforms. Thuku remained in their thoughts as a primary leader. The East African Association declined to participate in
16428-669: The summer attending an Independent Labour Party summer school and Fabian Society gatherings. In June, he visited Geneva , Switzerland to attend a Save the Children conference on African children. In November, he met the Indian independence leader Mohandas Gandhi while in London. That month, he enrolled in the Woodbrooke Quaker College in Birmingham , where he remained until the spring of 1932, attaining
16576-407: The then colonial Governor Evelyn Baring . The prosecution failed to produce any strong evidence that Kenyatta or the other accused had any involvement in managing the Mau Mau. In April 1953, Judge Thacker found the defendants guilty. He sentenced them to seven years' hard labour , to be followed by indefinite restriction preventing them from leaving a given area without permission. In addressing
16724-522: The transition of the Kenya Colony into an independent republic, of which he became president in 1964. Desiring a one-party state , he transferred regional powers to his central government, suppressed political dissent, and prohibited KANU's only rival— Oginga Odinga 's leftist Kenya People's Union —from competing in elections. He promoted reconciliation between the country's indigenous ethnic groups and its European minority, although his relations with
16872-623: The treatment of indigenous people in East Africa to the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany . In response to these activities, the British Colonial Office reopened their file on him, although could not find any evidence that he was engaged in anything sufficiently seditious to warrant prosecution. Kenyatta assembled the essays on Kikuyu society written for Malinowski's class and published them as Facing Mount Kenya in 1938. Featuring an introduction written by Malinowski,
17020-541: The trial he faced government harassment and was sent death threats. The judge selected, Ransley Thacker , had recently retired from the Supreme Court of Kenya ; the government knew he would be sympathetic to their case and gave him £20,000 to oversee it. The trial lasted five months: Rawson Macharia , the main prosecution witness, turned out to have perjured himself; the judge had only recently been awarded an unusually large pension and maintained secret contact with
17168-581: The views of the educated African elite could be given a forum.” The organization was meant to ‘study’ the problems or grievances of the Africans and accordingly advise Eliud Mathu at the Legislative Council. To change the name to Kenya African Union, Mathu called for a meeting in Harry Thuku’s shop in Nairobi, and in attendance was Gichuru, Joseph D. Otiende , Jonathan Njoroge , Henry Mwaniki , Francis Khamisi , Kamau Njoroge , Albert Awino , Ambrose Ofafa , Mucohi Gikonyo and Simeon Mulandi . At inception,
17316-597: Was Prince Peter of Greece and Denmark , who invited Kenyatta to stay with him and his mother, Princess Marie Bonaparte , in Paris during the spring of 1936. Kenyatta returned to his former dwellings at 95 Cambridge Street, but did not pay his landlady for over a year, owing over £100 in rent. This angered Ross and contributed to the breakdown of their friendship. He then rented a Camden Town flat with his friend Dinah Stock, whom he had met at an anti-imperialist rally in Trafalgar Square . Kenyatta socialised at
17464-681: Was "one of the major texts in what has come to be known as the invention of tradition in colonial Africa". "In the last war 300,000 of my people fought in the British Army to drive the Germans from East Africa and 60,000 of them lost their lives. In this war large numbers of my people have been fighting to smash fascist power in Africa and have borne some of the hardest fights against the Italians. Surely if we are considered fit enough to take our rifles and fight side by side with white men we have
17612-465: Was a Kenyan anti- colonial activist and politician who governed Kenya as its Prime Minister from 1963 to 1964 and then as its first President from 1964 to his death in 1978. He played a significant role in the transformation of Kenya from a colony of the British Empire into an independent republic. Ideologically an African nationalist and a conservative , he led the Kenya African National Union (KANU) party from 1961 until his death. Kenyatta
17760-561: Was a Kenyan born in Kiambu, Mitahato village. As a politician , he was one of the pioneers in the development of modern African nationalism in Kenya . He helped found the Young Kikuyu Association and the East African Association before being arrested and exiled from 1922 to 1931. In 1932 he became President of the Kikuyu Central Association , in 1935 founded the Kikuyu Provincial Association , and in 1944 founded
17908-542: Was able to express in Britain would not have been permitted in Kenya itself. Between 1935 and 1937, Kenyatta worked as a linguistic informant for the Phonetics Department at University College London (UCL); his Kikuyu voice recordings assisted Lilias Armstrong 's production of The Phonetic and Tonal Structure of Kikuyu . The book was published under Armstrong's name, although Kenyatta claimed he should have been listed as co-author. He enrolled at UCL as
18056-423: Was allowed to return to Holy Communion. In April 1922, Kenyatta began working as a stores clerk and meter reader for Cook, who had been appointed water superintendent for Nairobi's municipal council. He earned 250/= ( £12/10/– , equivalent to £862 in 2023) a month, a particularly high wage for a native African, which brought him financial independence and a growing sense of self-confidence. Kenyatta lived in
18204-493: Was among the Kapenguria Six arrested and charged with masterminding the anti-colonial Mau Mau Uprising . Although protesting his innocence—a view shared by later historians—he was convicted. He remained imprisoned at Lokitaung until 1959 and was then exiled to Lodwar until 1961. On his release, Kenyatta became President of KANU and led the party to victory in the 1963 general election . As Prime Minister, he oversaw
18352-407: Was arrested and driven to Nairobi, where he was taken aboard a plane and flown to Lokitaung , northwest Kenya, one of the most remote locations in the country. From there he wrote to his family to let them know of his situation. Kenya's authorities believed that detaining Kenyatta would help quell civil unrest. Many white settlers wanted him exiled, but the government feared this would turn him into
18500-487: Was at pains to oppose all illegal activity, including workers' strikes. He called on his supporters to work hard, and to abandon laziness, theft, and crime. He also insisted that in an independent Kenya, all racial groups would be safeguarded. Kenyatta's gradualist and peaceful approach contrasted with the growth of the Mau Mau Uprising , as armed guerrilla groups began targeting the white minority and members of
18648-487: Was better than anything offered by European colonialism. In this book, Kenyatta made clear his belief that the rights of the individual should be downgraded in favour of the interests of the group. The book also reflected his changing views on female genital mutilation; where once he opposed it, he now unequivocally supported the practice, downplaying the medical dangers that it posed to women. The book's jacket cover featured an image of Kenyatta in traditional dress, wearing
18796-511: Was born to Kikuyu farmers in Kiambu , British East Africa . Educated at a mission school , he worked in various jobs before becoming politically engaged through the Kikuyu Central Association . In 1929, he travelled to London to lobby for Kikuyu land affairs. During the 1930s, he studied at Moscow 's Communist University of the Toilers of the East , University College London , and the London School of Economics . In 1938, he published an anthropological study of Kikuyu life before working as
18944-411: Was born with the name Kamau in the small rural village of Ngenda. Birth records were not then kept among the Kikuyu, and Kenyatta's date of birth is not known. One biographer, Jules Archer, suggested he was likely born in 1890 or 1891, although a fuller analysis by Jeremy Murray-Brown suggested a birth c. 1897 or 1898 . Kenyatta's father was named Muigai, and his mother Wambui. They lived in
19092-664: Was born, and began farming his 32-acre estate. Kenyatta met with the new Governor of Kenya, Philip Euen Mitchell , and in March 1947 accepted a post on an African Land Settlement Board, holding the post for two years. He also met with Mbiyu Koinange to discuss the future of the Koinange Independent Teachers' College in Githungui, Koinange appointing Kenyatta as its Vice-Principal. In May 1947, Koinange moved to England, leaving Kenyatta to take full control of
19240-558: Was born. Intelligence services continued monitoring Kenyatta, noting that he was politically inactive between 1939 and 1944. In Sussex, he wrote an essay for the United Society for Christian Literature, My People of Kikuyu and the Life of Chief Wangombe , in which he called for his tribe's political independence. He also began—although never finished—a novel partly based on his life experiences. He continued to give lectures around
19388-517: Was conducted in Swahili , the lingua franca of indigenous Kenyans. To attract support from Kenya's Indian community, he made contact with Jawaharlal Nehru , the first Prime Minister of the new Indian republic. Nehru's response was supportive, sending a message to Kenya's Indian minority reminding them that they were the guests of the indigenous African population. Relations with the white minority remained strained; for most white Kenyans, Kenyatta
19536-427: Was considered a moderate. The colonial administration also created a hostile environment which made the attainment of KAU’s objectives difficult. Soon, ideological differences in its ranks, particularly among the moderates and the radicals, threatened to tear apart the fabric that held it together. The lack of political awareness among the Africans coupled with widespread ethnic distrust among the Africans also slowed down
19684-439: Was despite the fact his case was one of the strongest he had ever presented during his career. According to Murray-Brown, it is likely that political, rather than legal considerations, informed their decision to reject the case. During the appeal process, a prison had been built at Lokitaung, where Kenyatta and the four others were then interned. The others were made to break rocks in the hot sun but Kenyatta, because of his age,
19832-639: Was far stronger than it had been in Muĩgwithania . These communist links concerned many of Kenyatta's liberal patrons. In January, Kenyatta met with Drummond Shiels , the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies , at the House of Commons . Kenyatta told Shiels that he was not affiliated with communist circles and was unaware of the nature of the newspaper which published his articles. Shiels advised Kenyatta to return home to promote Kikuyu involvement in
19980-527: Was given the honorary title of Mzee and lauded as the Father of the Nation , securing support from both the black majority and the white minority with his message of reconciliation. Conversely, his rule was criticised as dictatorial, authoritarian , and neocolonial , of favouring Kikuyu over other ethnic groups, and of facilitating the growth of widespread corruption . A member of the Kikuyu people , Kenyatta
20128-582: Was gunned down at Gachie, some seven miles outside Nairobi while on his way home. His vehicle was blocked by another and a gunman emerged shooting him dead. The act was blamed on the Mau Mau and the declaration of Emergency followed shortly. The British government sent in troops to bolster the war effort against the Mau Mau. General Sir George Erskine was appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the East African Command meant to deal with
20276-624: Was increasingly frustrated, and—without the intellectual companionship he experienced in Britain—felt lonely. "We Africans are in the majority [in Kenya], and we should have self-government. That does not mean we should not take account of whites, provided we have the key position. We want to be friendly with whites. We don't want to be dominated by them." —Kenyatta, quoted by the Daily Express , September 1952 In October 1952, Kenyatta
20424-508: Was instead appointed their cook, preparing a daily diet of beans and posho . In 1955, P. de Robeck became the District Officer, after which Kenyatta and the other inmates were treated more leniently. In April 1954, they had been joined by a captured Mau Mau commander, Waruhiu Itote ; Kenyatta befriended him, and gave him English lessons. By 1957, the inmates had formed into two rival cliques, with Kenyatta and Itote on one side and
20572-571: Was involved in transporting livestock to Nairobi, before relocating to Nairobi to work in a store selling farming and engineering equipment. In the evenings, he took classes in a church mission school. Several months later he returned to Thika before obtaining employment building houses for the Thogota Mission. He also lived for a time in Dagoretti , where he became a retainer for a local sub-chief, Kioi; in 1919 he assisted Kioi in putting
20720-551: Was now designated as the representative for Central Province. Ohanga now represented Nyanza while James Jeremiah represented the Coast. They were formally nominated as unofficial members of the Legislative Council to represent ‘the interests of the African Community’. Under Jomo Kenyatta , the KAU moved a notch higher demanding the abolition of taxation, free and compulsory education for Africans, expanded representation at
20868-599: Was on the rise among both native and Indian communities in Kenya following the Irish War of Independence and the Russian October Revolution . Many indigenous Africans resented having to carry kipande identity certificates at all times, being forbidden from growing coffee, and paying taxes without political representation. Political upheavals occurred in Kikuyuland—the area inhabited largely by
21016-555: Was one of the few female students at his college; she then gave birth to a daughter. In August 1944, the Kenya African Union (KAU) had been founded; at that time it was the only active political outlet for indigenous Africans in the colony. At its June 1947 annual general meeting , KAU's President James Gichuru stepped down and Kenyatta was elected as his replacement. Kenyatta began to draw large crowds wherever he travelled in Kikuyuland, and Kikuyu press began describing him as
21164-522: Was part of Britain's civilizing mission. While there, Kenyatta stayed at the small boarding school , where he learnt stories from the Bible , and was taught to read and write in English . He also performed chores for the mission, including washing the dishes and weeding the gardens. He was soon joined at the mission dormitory by his brother Kongo. The longer the pupils stayed, the more they came to resent
21312-467: Was the first to publicly call for Kenyatta's release, an issue that gained growing support among Kenya's anti-colonialists. In 1955, the British writer Montagu Slater —a socialist sympathetic to Kenyatta's plight—released The Trial of Jomo Kenyatta , a book which raised the profile of the case. In 1958, Rawson Macharia, the key witness in the state's prosecution of Kenyatta, signed an affidavit swearing that his evidence against Kenyatta had been false; this
21460-477: Was their principal enemy, an agitator with links to the Soviet Union who had the impertinence to marry a white woman. They too increasingly called for further Kenyan autonomy from the British government, but wanted continued white-minority rule and closer links to the white-minority governments of South Africa, Northern Rhodesia , and Southern Rhodesia ; they viewed Britain's newly elected Labour government with great suspicion. The white Electors' Union put forward
21608-458: Was to help unify the Kikuyu and raise funds for the KCA. Kenyatta was listed as the publication's editor, although Murray-Brown suggested that he was not the guiding hand behind it and that his duties were largely confined to translating into Kikuyu. Aware that Thuku had been exiled for his activism, Kenyatta's took a cautious approach to campaigning, and in Mũigwithania he expressed support for
21756-512: Was widely believed that the January 1930 killing of an American missionary, Hulda Stumpf , had been due to the issue. As Secretary of the KCA, Kenyatta met with church representatives. He expressed the view that although personally opposing FGM, he regarded its legal abolition as counter-productive, and argued that the churches should focus on eradicating the practice through educating people about its harmful effects on women's health. The meeting ended without compromise, and John Arthur —the head of
21904-402: Was widely publicised. By the late 1950s, the imprisoned Kenyatta had become a symbol of African nationalism across the continent. His sentence served, in April 1959 Kenyatta was released from Lokitaung. The administration then placed a restricting order on Kenyatta, forcing him to reside in the remote area of Lodwar , where he had to report to the district commissioner twice a day. There, he
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