History of Kenya
Kenya is a very rich historical area it lies in the eastern part of Africa bordering the Indian Ocean. The countries that surround Kenya are Somalia and Tanzania It has a total land mass of 590,367 sq km and within that area the climate varies from tropical to arid. Kenya has several ethnic groups, which include the Kikuyu, Luhya, and Luro, and there main language is English and Kiswahili. (CIA.gov) The current population of Kenya is 45.9 million people The history of Kenya is also part of the Great Rift Valley, which is high in archeological sites and more than 1,000 remains of human ancestors are found in this region. This region has a high threshold for biodiversity as well. The Ruma national park is home to the black rhino and other endangered species. (Globalissues)
This country is rich in history but is fairly new in terms of actually being a country. Kenya places its roots in colonialism; during the late 1800’s eastern Africa was divided into territories. (embassyofrepublicofkenya) The British government founded the east African protectorate in 1895 and settled in that area by the year 1920 Kenya was officially considered a British colony. The Britain’s ruled the colony and was the voice of the government. These colonizers also banned Africans and Asians from political participation until 1944. Another way that the Britain’s demoralized the native and Asian population was by bringing an Indian population in to work the Kenyan Uganda Railway Line. (embassyofrepublicofkenya) This systematic railway was not produced to take natural resources from the land area and export them. This didn’t bode well with the indigenous population and eventually they resisted colonial rule. Tribes within the area decided to unify and embark on a road to national soveirnty. The Mau Mau rebellion was a main indicator to the colonists that the exploitation of that area was not going to be tolerated anymore. By the late 1950’s Kenyans were actually allowed to vote and become appointed officials.
Control has has always been a major part in Kenya’s history but there was a moment of jubuilation when it officially became a country in 1960’s. During that time the constitution was created and amended in 1964. The KANU and KADU (The Kenya African Democratic Union) where the two main parties to rival British control. And when the KANU won Kenya’s independence was imminent. ( Since that point other surrounding nations followed suit and became independent countries such as Tanzania and Uganda. Since its independence Kenya has had 4 presidents consisting of Jomo Kenyatta 1964-1978, Daniel Arap Moi 1978-2002, Mwai Kibaki 2002-2007, and President Uhuru Kenyatta 2012-present. During the tenure of the Kenyata presidency he purged ruling party KANU, established a hold on the economy through strategic patronage, and developed security against terroristic threats. The country has seen economic growth since its independence. For being such a young nation Kenya has become major force for eastern Africa. It has developed it agricultural industry and currently plays a leading role in the quest for peace and stability in the eastern African region.
"Kenya." The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide. Abington: Helicon, 2015. Credo Reference. Web. April 2016.
"History of Kenya." Embassy of Republic of Kenya. N.p., Dec. 2008. Web. Apr. 2016. <http://www.kenyaembassy.com/aboutkenyahistory.html>.
