Kenya History Then and Now
Early Kenya history evidence shows that man's prehistoric ancestors roamed Kenya as early as four million years ago.
The modern history of Kenya, however, did not start until the Cushitic people of Northern Africa moved into present day Kenya around 2000 BC. Thousands of years later, at around 200 AD, the Bantu arrived and settled along Kenya's coast. Later, between the 10th-14th centuries, the Nilotic people arrived and occupied the Great Rift Valley plains.
Arab traders began frequenting Kenya's coast during the first century AD. By 700 AD, Arab settlements had sprouted along the coastline, giving way to inter-marriages between the Arabs and the Bantu. This formed the beginning of the Swahili culture and language found in Kenya today.
Arab dominance ended in 1498, when the Portuguese arrived and settled along Kenya's coast. It was during their stay that the Portuguese built the famous Fort Jesus in Mombasa in 1593. The Portuguese retained control of much of the coast until the late 1600s when the Imam of Oman defeated them and brought Kenya's coast under Islamic control.
Kenya Colonial History
The colonial history of Kenya starts with the Berlin Conference of 1885 when European nations divided Africa among themselves. In 1894, the British government declared the East African Protectorate over Kenya and Uganda and, in 1920, the protectorate became a colony. The Kenya historical events timeline below highlights key events of the colonial period.
1944: Kenyan African Union (KAU) formed to campaign for independence.1947: Jomo Kenyatta becomes KAU leader.
1947: The Mau Mau rebel movement is born.
1952: Mau Mau activities intensify. The colonial government declares a state of emergency. Kenyatta, Achieng Aneko and others are arrested.
1953: Kenyatta is sentenced to seven years imprisonment on charges of leading the Mau Mau.
1959: Kenyatta is released from prison.
1960: The state of emergency ends. Britain begins preparing Kenya for majority African rule. James Gichuru, Oginga Odinga and others form Kenya African National Union (KANU)
1963 June 1: Kenya achieves internal self-government (Madaraka).
1963 December 12: Kenya gains independence. Jomo Kenyatta becomes Prime Minister.
Post-Independence Kenya History
Kenya under President Jomo Kenyatta
On December 12, 1964, Kenya became a republic. Jomo Kenyatta was named Kenya's first president, with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga as his vice-president. Odinga later had ideological differences with Kenyatta and, in 1966, he left KANU and formed the opposition party - Kenya People's Union (KPU).
Kenyatta banned KPU and, in 1969, KANU became Kenya's only political party. Kenyatta remained president of Kenya until his death on August 22, 1978.
Kenya History: Kenya under President Moi
Upon Kenyatta's death, Vice-President Daniel Arap Moi became Kenya's second president. In June 1982 parliament amended the Constitution, officially making Kenya a one-party state. This marked the start of the clamor for a "second liberation".
In August 1982, a section of Kenya's air force attempted to overthrow President Moi's government. The army suppressed the coup attempt. Between 1982 and 1990, the suppression spread to the democratic space in Kenya. People who were believed to oppose the government were banned from KANU. Many were detained or exiled while others were tortured in the dreaded Nyayo House torture chambers.
The fight for the "second liberation" intensified culminating in the formation of Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD) in 1991. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was one of the main leaders of FORD.
Multiparty Democracy is born
In 1992, parliament revoked the section of the Constitution that made Kenya a one-party state. In December of that year, Kenya held its first multi-party elections. Kenya's President Moi won the elections, beginning his first five-year term under the new constitutional amendments. In the next multi-party elections, held in December 1997, Moi won his second and final five-year term.
In 2002, the main opposition parties united under one coalition - the NARC. NARC candidate Mwai Kibaki defeated Uhuru Kenyatta of KANU, thus ending KANU's thirty-nine-year reign.
The NARC government dramatically reversed the negative economic growth and hardship once experienced in Kenya during President Moi's tenure. However, in 2005, internal conflicts caused the NARC coalition to break up. A splinter group teamed with KANU to successfully campaign against a government-backed proposal for a new constitution. This splinter group became the Orange Democratic Movement of Kenya (ODM-K). ODM-K has since split into two parties - ODM-K and ODM.
Kenya today
Kenya was thrown into political turmoil after the December 27, 2007 presidential elections failed to produce a clear winner. A peace deal was brokered creating a National Reconciliation Accord that saw President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga (ODM) share power equally through a grand-coalition government.
Find books about the history of Kenya, including books by Kenyan authors and other types of books/music about Kenya
Kenya's flag and the National Anthem - the symbols of Kenya's nationhood
The Constitution of Kenya: What does it say? How does it govern the country and the people of Kenya?
The Government of Kenya - structure and achievements
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