SOCIO – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN COLONIAL KENYA
To ease the burden that British taxpayers had to put up with at the initial stages of conquest and occupation of Kenya, Britain had to make Kenya economically viable, having set up a system of administration over the colony. Europeans from Britain, south Africa, Australia and Canada were encouraged to settle on the vast “empty” land, followed by establishment of policies and structures to facilitate changes in basic infrastructure, agriculture, education and health. THE KENYA-UGANDA RAILWAY The Kenya-Uganda railway was built between 1896-1901, with George Whitehouse as the Chief Engineer. Work on the railway was done by British and Indian personnel since the local people could not provide skilled labour. Though costly, the construction of the railway had a tremendous impact on the administration and economic development of colonial Kenya. State the reasons for the construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway. (Explain why the KenyaUganda railway was constructed. Or: Explain why the British Government built the Kenya-Uganda railway.) Enormous economic potential in the Kenya & Uganda region. Missionaries‟ need for easy movement into the interior. Enhancement of British access to Uganda, which, to them, was a strategic territory. The need to replace slave trade with legitimate trade. The need for fast movement of troops to trouble sports within the region. To prove that the territory was now firmly and effectively under the British crown. The Berlin Act, which demanded that colonizers develop the colonies. In 1901, the railway reached Kisumu, having passed through Nairobi in 1899. Identify the feeder lines that were laid out to make the railway network a meaningful mode of accessing the interior in Kenya. The Nairobi-to-Thika branch (1914). The Konza-to-Magadi branch (1915). Voi-to-Moshi (1918). Rongai-to-solai (1925). Ø Eldoret-to-Jinja (1927). Gilgil-to-Nyahururu (1929). The Thika-to-Nanyuki branch (1930). The Kisumu to Butere branch (1930). By 1948, the Kenya-Uganda railway network had been linked with the Tanganyika network to form the East African Railways. Explain the problems experienced in the construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway. (Explain the factors that undermined the building of the Kenya-Uganda railway.) Additional costs and delays due to heavy reliance on British and Indian rather than local personnel. The British had to import Coolies, clerks and craftsmen from India to provide the necessary manpower and expertise. Scarcity of food, water, medicine and other essential supplies. Ragged and expansive unfamiliar terrain across the highlands into the Rift Valley. Descending the Eastern Escarpment and ascending the Western Escarpment caused engineering problems that took a lot of time to solve. Adverse (dry and hot) climatic conditions across the coastal plains, the Nyika plateau and the Taru desert. These took a heavy toll on the builders due to heat and dehydration. Costly and delayed delivery of the needed building equipment and materials. Tropical diseases like Malaria, Smallpox and the Jigger. Hostility to railway builders by some interior communities, who kept on stealing the materials and attacked railway builders. E.g. the Nandi stole telegraphic wires and iron bars to make ornaments and weapons. The menace of the Man-eating lions, especially across Tsavo. IMPACT OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE KENYA-UGANDA RAILWAY What were the results/consequences of the construction of the Kenya-Uganda railway? (Explain the impact/effects of the building of the Kenya-Uganda railway.) Rapid expansion and promotion of British administration. With it, troops could easily be sent to the trouble spots. Influx of Asians into Kenya, who embarked on commercial activities along the railway line. Ø Rural-Urban migration and rise of African enterprises e.g. hawking and charcoal selling. Ø Development and expansion of other forms of transport and communication, including telegraph and roads. Increased cultural and social interaction among different races. Rise and growth of urban centres like Nairobi, Kisumu and Nakuru, some of which mushroomed as railway stations or residential areas. Rapid growth of trade between the interior, the coast and the outside world. Easy accessibility to the interior, which the railway opened up to the outside world. Rise of the railway as a major source of revenue for the colonial authorities. Influx and settlement of many Europeans in the interior. Creation of jobs for many Africans and Indians. It facilitated the evangelisation work of the Christian missionaries. Rapid development of agriculture and industry. The railway boosted Settler agriculture and growth of agro-based industries like flour milling and milk processing. Massive land alienation, with some communities such as the Maasai and the Nandi being confined in reserves. SETTLER FARMING IN COLONIAL KENYA The period between 1900-1904 witnessed enormous influx of white settlers into the Kenya highlands, encouraged by the colonial government. WHY THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGED WHITE SETTLEMENT IN KENYA A visit to the Kenyan interior by sir Charles Eliot: the British Commissioner to Kenya, who referred to the Kenya highlands as a Whiteman‟s country. The colonial government therefore embarked on making Kenya a “Whiteman‟s country” by encouraging white farmers to form the backbone of Kenya‟s economy. An urgent need to exploit the Kenya highlands for agriculture. To finance the administrative expenses of the colony without involving the British taxpayers. To pay for the construction and maintenance of the railway. To produce raw materials for British industries. To counter Asian influence in Kenya. Suitability of the Kenya highlands for European settlement in terms of climate and soils. FACTORS THAT PROMOTED SETTLER FARMING IN COLONIAL KENYA Various factors enabled the White settlers to establish farms in the Kenya Highlands, such as the following: Adequate rainfall experienced in the Kenya Highlands. Concessions and loans granted to them by the government. Provision of transport facilities such as the Kenya-Uganda and Feeder railway lines and roads. Research services, which were started to support them. Removal of trade tariffs and reduction of Freight charges on import and export of agricultural inputs and products. Access to unlimited cheap labour. Ample land snatched from Africans and given to them by the HOW THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT FACILITATED SETTLER FARMING IN KENYA Banning of Africans from growing cash crops and keeping exotic animals in order to eliminate any competition for labour, land and markets. Promotion of cooperatives
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