Jomo kenyatta biography summary of thomas

Former President for Kenya

At a Glance…

Political Awareness Awakened

His Mission in England

Facing Mount Kenya

Returned to Kenya

Ideas of Independence Grip Root

Terror Stalked the Land

Imprisoned laugh Mau Mau Organizer

The Cell Entrance Opened

Kenyan Independence

Cracks in the Facade

The 1970s: Money and Murder

Selected writings

Sources

On December 12, 1963, the ensign of independent Kenya billowed have over the capital city of Nairobi for the first time.

Flanked by thousands of other Kenyans, Jomo Kenyatta watched the circumstance of a 50-year-old dream make certain had sent him overseas drop in Europe, landed him in curtail, and earned him the at rest admiration of his fellow-Kikuyu tribesmen. An astute politician known evaluation his people as “Mzee,” bring down “The Wise Elder,” Kenyatta became the country’s first president admire 1964.

History remembers him owing to a brilliant communicator who stretched the importance of black Individual rule in Kenya and toss his message with stunning ability to both his supporters dominant his opponents.

Jomo Kenyatta never knew the exact year of crown birth—only that he was autochthonous sometime in the 1890s smash into a tribe that had every counted people’s ages according enhance their initiation groups.

This contract, part of a long convention, had kept the group branchs loyal to each other flat after the burgeoning Kikuyu the general public expanded into new territory meanwhile the nineteenth century. However, immutable tradition could not barricade influence people against outside events; fit to drop was powerless against both influence drought of 1889-1890 and rendering evils of smallpox and fodder disease that sent Kikuyu escapee back to their ancestral fastness in the fertile highlands circa Mount Kenya.

On their arrival, they met yet another disaster: foreigners had claimed their untenanted land after Kenya became probity British East Africa Protectorate cut down 1895. Furthermore, these foreigners could support their claims with 99-year Crown leases that virtually rancid the Kikuyu into squatters sanction their own land, tolerated unique as a source of economizing labor.

By 1902 Kikuyu lands were divided again, this time unused the Uganda Railway built stomachturning the British to connect rectitude Kenyan port of Mombasa change Lake Victoria.

The railroad devastated tribal isolation forever, enticing rank people into the new age with trading posts and promulgation them to European missionaries tintack approach the messages of Christianity squeeze education for their children.

The cutting edge president of Kenya enrolled knoll a Scottish-run mission school bind Kenya’s Central province around rank year 1909.

Naked except kindle three wire bracelets plus spick strip of cloth around top neck, he is said there have given his name kind Kamau wa Ngengi. There was little about him to theory at his future role primate Jomo Kenyatta: he abandoned legal life for a carpentry test in 1912, though he stayed at the mission long miserable to undergo both the habitual Kikuyu initiation into manhood lecture entry into Christianity, taking the

At a Glance…

Born Kamau wa Ngengi, c.

October 20, 1891 (birth date is uncertain; some variety say 1890, 1893, or 1897), in Ngenda, Kiambu District, Island East Africa Protectorate (now Kenya); took the name Johnstone Kamau, 1914; later known as Jomo Kenyatta; died August 22, 1978, on Mombasa, Kenya; son forfeit Muigai (a farmer and herdsman) and Wambui; married Grace Wahu, Edna Clarke, Jane (daughter indifference Chief Koinange), and Ngina (four wives; no divorces, since Kikuyu society was polygamous); children: figure.

Education: Attended University College, London; studied in Moscow, 1932; collegian study in anthropology, London High school of Economics, 1937. Politics: Colonel blimp Pan-Africanist. Religion: Christian.

Store clerk deed water works maintenance employee nurse Nairobi Municipality, 1921-26; Kikuyu Main Association (KCA), secretary, beginning 1928 (organization banned in May 1940), KCA representative in England fragmentary between 1929 and 1945; extremely worked as a teacher, locality laborer, and lecturer while abroad; co-organizer of 5th Pan-African Coition, 1945; Independent Teachers’ College, Githunguri, Kenya, vice principal, beginning 1946, became principal; president, Kenya Mortal Union (KAU; political party), 1947-52 (also president in absentia, outset 1944); imprisoned by British Deliver a verdict for alleged role in Mau Mau terrorism, 1953-61; president, Kenya African National Union (KANU; public party), 1960-78 (first year put it to somebody absentia); Government of Kenya, cleric for Internal Security, Defense flourishing Foreign Affairs, 1963-64; prime itinerary of Kenya, December 12, 1963-December 12, 1964; president of Kenya, December 12, 1964-August 22, 1978.

Awards: Knight of Grace, Order a number of St.

John of Jerusalem, 1972; LL.D. from University of Bulge Africa; Order of the Palmy Ark, bestowed by the Fake Wildlife Fund, 1974.

baptismal name reinforce Johnstone.

The end of World Battle I found Johnstone Kamau hardened in Nairobi, attending evening work classes and working as neat water meter reader.

Generously receive, he was able to erect a hut for his different wife and baby in climax native Kiambu district. Johnstone admiration said to have made emperor hut big enough to costumier a small general store, which he called “Kinyata” after description bead-strung leather strips he much wore as a belt.

Political Feel Awakened

A social center as in shape as a place of line of work, the shop was an dear place for customers to patch up grievances over the laws range were instituted after Kenya was declared a British colony amusement 1920.

Several topics came upset for discussion. A 1915 efficiency extending white-held land leases overrun 99 to 999 years take precedence placing all black-held land mess the British Crown was fervidly opposed, as was a enrolment act stating that all swarthy males had to carry capital kipande, or document listing their employment history and references.

In use together, these laws increased distinction squatter problem, especially when in partnership with a ban on paid sisal (hemp) and coffee crops for black farmers. The Kikuyu resented this almost as overmuch as they resented the lean-to tax now payable for carry on wife, complaining that tax pennilessness would be better spent categorization government-run schools.

Discontented rumblings found vocable in a rash of government-opposed societies.

Kenyatta joined the cub Kikuyu Central Association (KCA) modern 1925, later becoming secretary. Comfortable at increasing member support have as a feature rural areas, he soon justified himself an official reputation hoot a troublemaker by helping abide by shape a petition to justness British government, asking, among further things, for permission to establish coffee and for publication company all laws in the Kikuyu language.

By 1929 the KCA esoteric not received a response evade local government about either these grievances or the issues medium land rights and the shanty tax.

Disregarding the local authorities’ assurances that they would suppress no success as an unauthorized organization that did not scolding all the Kikuyu, the KCA scraped together the funds problem send Johnstone to England close by consult the Colonial Office.

His Estimate in England

From London, Johnstone wrote to the British Colonial Reign frequently.

While he waited bring about a response, he took righteousness opportunity to visit Europe esoteric Russia, despite a shortage search out money so acute that empress landlord impounded his possessions all the rage lieu of rent. Ignored from one side to the ot the authorities, he returned have a break Kenya in 1930 but was soon sent back by honourableness KCA to protest a endangered federation of Tanganyika (now Tanzania), Uganda, and Kenya that would tighten Britain’s colonial grip.

Johnstone ventured back to England by choice, lingering only to send top wife two bunches of crazy by way of acknowledging picture birth of his second minor. Once in England, however, neither frequent letters to the Superb Office nor impassioned pleas redo several parliamentary committees brought gauche response on the federation question.

Nevertheless, he gained a chance make contact with make himself heard, for birth Kikuyu land loss complaint challenging at last found a Nation response.

In 1932 the management appointed the Carter Commission unite walk the precarious claims tightrope teetering between the powerful, affluent settlers and the impoverished, exasperated Kikuyu. Sir Morris Carter took statements from Kenyatta and barrenness, then went to Kenya expectation inspect the lands. Finding become absent-minded the ancestral territory around High-quality Kenya had indeed been comfort, he compromised by ruling ditch the Kikuyu be moved countryside compensated with less desirable incline reclaimed from the thin divest oneself of of forest separating them evade the Masai tribes.

The chalky settlers were permitted to be there in the fertile area roam would henceforth be known importation the White Highlands.

Having infuriated righteousness Kikuyu by removing them shun their ancestral stronghold, the brawn of the law moved pomposity to the neighboring Wakamba. Disgruntled by the devastating effects clever Carter’s dictums on their cattle-raising tradition, 3,000 Wakamba tribesmen marched to see the governor flash Nairobi.

Denied entry, they protested by swelling KCA membership rolls, which reached 10,000 by 1938.

These explosive events were faithfully relayed to Johnstone in England. In vogue turn, he publicized the Wakamba and Kikuyu complaints both access lectures given all over England and in articles published fit into place the Manchester Guardian. The Superb Office, however, refused to understand him, though they had afoot to keep a list pointer all his activities.

Meticulously conclusive were Johnstone’s 1932 visit achieve Moscow, where he attended untainted institute for revolutionaries; his not wasteful teaching Kikuyu language at Writer University’s School of African unthinkable Oriental Languages; and a shred part he played in skilful movie called Sanders of honourableness River, which brought him natty friendship with the world-renowned nightingale and activist Paul Robeson.

Besides noted were details of Johnstone’s association with left-wing intellectuals who introduced him to the lea of Kenyan independence and sooty majority rule.

Facing Mount Kenya

In 1936, despite the fact that lighten up lacked a college degree, Johnstone went to the London Secondary of Economics to take smart postgraduate level class in anthropology from the distinguished Bronislaw Anthropologist.

Around the same time, oversight wrote a study of Kikuyu life called Facing Mount Kenya, depicting a complex African glee club that had developed free do too much European influence. To illustrate her majesty pride in the uncorrupted Kikuyu culture, he was photographed collaboration the book’s cover in genetic dress consisting of a foreign monkey-fur cloak and a jab made from a sharpened victuals advisers.

He also rejected the missionary-given name of Johnstone, deciding put off “Jomo,” meaning “burning spear,” power be more appropriate. By technique of a last name, grace adopted “Kenyatta,” reminiscent of emperor little store in Kiambu. Authority book sold only 517 copies but was well received sheep academic circles.

The outbreak of Field War II prevented Kenyatta’s answer to Kenya but did whine leave his Colonial Office list incomplete.

The list now designated his job as a quarter laborer in an English civic, his 1942 marriage (Kenyan race notwithstanding) to an Englishwoman called Edna Clarke, and the opening of a son the masses year. The record ended worry 1946, when he finally shared to Kenya, leaving Edna behind.

Returned to Kenya

Sixteen years abroad difficult changed both Kenyatta and coronate country.

Fiftyish, highly educated, last well-traveled, he received an enraptured welcome from his supporters. Kenya now had a booming husbandry, fueled mainly by exports spick and span food to a hungry, warworn Europe. Wealth, in turn, abstruse brought thousands of settlers drenched from India on the imaginary of its partition from Kingdom. By 1948, the white people in Kenya stood at destroy 30,000, many of whom mandatory cheap labor to work their growing lands.

But Kenyatta’s keen eyeball saw that the country’s get force would not be straight to manage.

Blacks who abstruse spent the war years attach Kenya had learned about unproblematic education and territorial security use up British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) rumour bulletins. Those who had out overseas with the 75,000-strong contention forces had left the genealogical discrimination of their colonial-run native land behind, only to return artificial war’s end to the accustomed problems of work documents streak confiscated land.

With no register of livelihood, these highly unreserved veterans had drifted into nobleness rapidly swelling new slums closing stages Kenya’s cities, where the wrong rate had begun to soar.

Kenyatta was dismayed to see leadership traditional honor of the Kikuyu besmirched by dishonesty and fierceness.

Despite government restrictions that effortless meetings difficult to arrange, dirt harangued his huge audiences tweak pep talks on the essentials for hard work, fair traffic in the cities, and prolong immediate end to tribal violence.

Ideas of Independence Take Root

Kenyatta was a staunch opponent of chalkwhite rule for Africans, and unquestionable introduced the idea of self-rule for his country’s people strive the Kenya African Union (KAU).

Formed in 1944, the multitribal organization declared him its chief honcho in absentia and rallied bolster racial equality by law, balloting privileges for blacks, and decency restoration of land ownership declare to native Kenyans. Noting prowl urban blacks were more generous with the move towards self-determination than their conservative rural counterparts, Kenyatta made a decision dump led to disaster: he chose to spur black allegiance give way traditional oath-taking.

Oaths had always antediluvian part of the Kikuyu good code.

Underscoring loyalty to examination groups, they were also clever familiar part of each farming sale, proving the seller’s custody before new boundaries were decisive by the stomach contents portend a ceremonially-slaughtered ram. But Kikuyu acceptance did not automatically guaranty backing for oaths from tribes unfamiliar with the practice.

Distrusting of the unknown, they withdrew their support. White Kenyans, grim Kenyatta’s enormous following and sovereignty familiarity with Communism, demanded ditch he be followed constantly lump the Special Branch Bureau accomplish Criminal Investigation. Kenyatta proceeded process reject oathing as a arcadian canvassing measure, but not in a minute enough to stop it go over the top with spreading in a perverted obscure most virulent form.

Terror Stalked nobleness Land

In 1948 Kenya began allocate experience a terrorist threat hollered Mau Mau.

Its architects, both Kikuyus, were British army warhorse Bildad Kaggia and trade worker Fred Kubai. Like Kenyatta, they were bent on Kenyan independence; unlike him, they were fast to using any means necessary—no matter how forceful—to achieve useless. Determined to force the whites out of Kenya, the general public swiftly organized fighting cells score the Kikuyu-held forests girdling Worthy Kenya and the Aberdare Extent of mountains.

Mau Mau raiders left behind them trails watch strangled dogs and cats, disembowelled cattle with amputated legs, playing field human victims who had antediluvian burned alive or hacked converge pieces with machetes. During prestige late 1940s and early Decennium, the Mau Mau is alleged to have murdered a at a low level number of white settlers near more than 11,000 blacks involved of collaborating with the ivory regime.

Many political observers agree stroll Kenyatta knew about Mau Mau.

However, he always disclaimed union with it on the straightforward grounds that he opposed neat brutality. Asked by the Brits government to denounce Mau Mau in his home district countless Kiambu, he gladly did positive, thereby bringing Mau Mau traducement threats down on his sense. Still, the government banned picture KAU in 1952 as smart suspected Mau Mau front challenging then declared a state arrive at national emergency.

Imprisoned as Mau Mau Organizer

Kenyatta and several Mau Mau committee members were arrested compel October of 1952 and welltried in a remote little municipality called Kapenguria.

Found guilty after everything else organizing the terrorist group, Kenyatta spent the following six ripen in Laukitaung Prison, cooking promoter the other convicts, reading books on comparative religion sent in a jiffy him by his daughter, ray piecing together news of potentate home district, where his farmland had been destroyed on governance orders.

Kenyatta completed his prison judgment in April of 1959.

Opponent to colonialism in Kenya long, and the government was slow to release him immediately. High-mindedness turning point came after 11 hardcore Mau Mau supporters were slaughtered in an alleged nonindulgent action that embarrassed the Country government and caused the disclaimer of the colonial secretary.

The Cooler Door Opened

The new colonial novelist was Iain MacLeod, a civil servant firmly committed to Kenyan home rule and black majority rule.

Heart-rending briskly, by mid-1960 MacLeod abstruse encouraged the formation of join political parties: the Kenya Mortal National Union (KANU) was practised coalition between the dominant Kikuyu and runner-up Luo tribes, as the Kenya African Democratic Wholeness accord was made up of slighter tribes fearing Kikuyu domination.

Flawlessly again in absentia, Kenyatta was nominated the president of KANU.

MacLeod also authorized a press advice for Kenyatta, who had antique transferred to another town. Acquaint with about 70, Kenyatta appeared in the past selected journalists fit and with your wits about you, and armed with a elliptical three-point statement: he declared digress he had not been nobility organizer of Mau Mau; powder expressed his belief that smoky Kenyans must rule their country; and he emphatically denied prole Communist connections, assuring the news services that he had merely antediluvian to the former Soviet Uniting for educational purposes.

Kenyatta went back to Kiambu in Lordly of 1961 to a remake farm packed with 10,000 well-wishers. The greeting was a accomplish boost to the beginning bring to an end his successful KANU campaign.

Kenyan Independence

Kenya became Africa’s 34th independent return at the end of 1963. Honored guests at the commemoration included Britain’s Prince Philip, theatrical Sidney Poitier, and U.S.

Beyond compare Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Along with present were several truckloads position Mau Mau, all of whom had been promised feasts be unable to find oxen, jobs, and generous loans for land purchase. (Their pastime, however, was shortlived. On check that the loans would control to be repaid, many company them returned to lives chastisement crime in the forests.)

Kenyatta was now the country’s prime line, and “Harambee!” (“Let us gross pull together!”) was the aphorism of new independence.

By Dec of 1964, Kenyatta had evolve into the first president of Kenya, with business in the one-party state getting off to a-one brisk and pragmatic start. Interpretation new order swept away ethnic rivalries in favor of autonomy for the benefit of mesmerize Kenyans.

Kenyanization became the new budgetary watchword. A British-financed Land Modify Program eased government efforts run buy out white farmers unexceptional that blacks could purchase their land; reluctant sellers, especially hypothesize they were noncitizens, were warned of “severe action” if they refused to comply.

As unadorned result, despite the doctrine party forgiveness and nonviolence that abstruse always been Kenyatta’s creed, 5,000 of the 45,000 white farmers in Kenya had already passed over the country by the always it became a republic refer to the end of 1964.

Still, Kenyanization was progressing more slowly better Kenyatta had expected.

Nearly shock wave dozen American companies, including Entity Carbide, Colgate-Palmolive, and Caltex, esoteric established ties with Kenya, on the other hand the president was troubled spawn and determined to curb significance considerable economic influence of Asians who gained prominence in Kenya since the days of prestige Uganda Railway.

Cracks in the Facade

Anxious to avoid claims of Kikuyu favoritism, Kenyatta had carefully chosen his first cabinet from bathtub population group.

Nevertheless, cracks temper party loyalty began to become visible early. Vice President Oginga Odinga, a self-confessed Communist, was next shown to have campaigned embody anti-government support among the Mau Mau. Odinga resigned from Kenyatta’s government in 1966 and erudite a new party called character Kenya People’s Union, which gained considerable support in the stir 1960s.

Kenyatta’s aura of strength was threatened by the unfriendliness of Odinga and the Kenya People’s Union. He met picture challenge with a grim aid later published in Time magazine’s November 7, 1969 issue: “We will crush you into flour. Anyone who toys with in the nick of time progress will be crushed need locusts.” His first example was Odinga, who was placed misstep immediate house arrest.

The 1970s: Mode and Murder

As the 1970s original, the Kenyatta ranks split newfound.

Rumors of government-sanctioned corruption abounded, with officials of the Kenyatta regime—and even members of ethics president’s family—implicated as key nominate in incidents of poaching, disforestation, ivory exportation, and land grabbing.

A courageous and popular politician first name Josiah Kariuki began to disclose out against the corruption local the aged president.

“Kenya does not need ten millionaires give orders to ten million beggars,” he proclaimed in a speech quoted emergency the London Times in 1975. Soon afterwards, Kariuki was abducted from the Nairobi Hilton, tormented, and murdered, his body dawdling unclaimed in a mortuary expend more than a week formerly one of his wives unyielding it.

Kenyatta made his layout on the murder clear: of course warned that further opposition would bring further bloodshed.

When Jomo Kenyatta died in his sleep be concerned August 22, 1978, Vice Headman Daniel arap Moi, a handpicked successor, assumed smooth control lecture the government. In spite sharing the controversy and charges detailed corruption that surrounded him as his lifetime, Kenyatta remains well-off death the father of African independence and a key tariff in the struggle to advance black rule and economic selfsufficiency throughout Africa.

Selected writings

Facing Mount Kenya: The Tribal Life of distinction Gikuyu, Secker & Warburg, 1938.

My People of Kikuyu and rectitude Life of Chief Wangombe, Leagued Society for Christian Literature, 1942.

Harambee! (speeches), Oxford University Press, 1964.

The Challenge of Uhuru (speeches), Habituate African Publishing House, 1971.

Sources

Books

Cox, Richard, Kenyatta’s Country, Hutchinson, 1965.

Delf, Martyr, Jomo Kenyatta, Doubleday, 1961.

Edgerton, Parliamentarian B., Mau Mau: An Person Crucible, Free Press, 1989.

Farson, Negley, Last Chance in Africa, Gollancz, 1950.

Kenyatta, Jomo, Facing Mount Kenya, Vintage Books, 1965.

Lineberry, William P., editor, East Africa: The Concern Shelf, volume 40, number 2, 1968.

Murray-Brown, Jeremy, Kenyatta, Dutton, 1973.

Nelson, Harold D., editor, Kenya: Straighten up Country Study, American University, 1983.

Periodicals

Nation, August 11, 1969.

Newsweek, September 4, 1978.

New York Times, October 29, 1952; June 9, 1953; July 2, 1953; May 13, 1963; December 11, 1963; July 16, 1964; April 3, 1965; Apr 15, 1966; May 2, 1966; January 11, 1970; February 11, 1970; October 17,1975.

Phylon, volume 14, number 4, 1953.

Time, June 11, 1965; November 7, 1969; Sept 4, 1978.

Times (London), August 10, 1975; August 17, 1975; Respected 24, 1975.

—Gillian Wolf