Kenya Colony

Origins

In 1920 Britain annexed the interior of the East Africa Protectorate as Kenya Colony, while the coastal strip, still nominally under the Sultanate of Zanzibar, became the Kenya Protectorate. Annexation gave the white settler community, concentrated in the central highlands, more political weight. Nairobi remained the capital.

Rule and society

Europeans held the best farmland and dominated the legislative council, while Africans faced taxes, pass laws and restrictions on growing coffee. Indians campaigned for equal rights. African political protest began with Harry Thuku in 1921 and grew through Kikuyu associations. The Mau Mau uprising from 1952 led to a state of emergency under Governor Evelyn Baring and mass detention.

Decline and legacy

The emergency ended in 1960, and the Lancaster House conferences opened the way to majority rule. Kenya became independent on 12 December 1963 under Jomo Kenyatta, who had been imprisoned during the emergency.