In the Nairobi of the 1950s, the question of who could move—and how—was never just a matter of infrastructure. It was a question of power. Like many other colonial cities, Nairobi’s transport system was built to carry some and constrain others. Buses moved bodies, yes, but more importantly, they reinforced the borders of race, class, … Read more
When most people think of the First World War, images of trench warfare in Europe dominate the imagination. But far from the battlefields of France and Belgium, a brutal and under-documented campaign raged across East Africa. Kenya, then part of the British East Africa Protectorate, played a central role in this “forgotten front,” not only … Read more
Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline has long been a vital maritime corridor connecting the East African interior with the wider Indian Ocean world. From the arrival of Portuguese explorers in the 16th century to modern-day oil tankers and passenger ferries, these waters have been busy, strategic—and often perilous. Over the centuries, numerous shipwrecks and maritime disasters … Read more
Causes of the Uprising The Mau Mau Uprising was rooted in long-standing grievances among the Kikuyu and other communities over land dispossession, lack of political rights, and social inequalities under British colonial rule. “It was not simply a rebellion of peasants. It was also a battle of meaning: about land, rights, and justice.” – Anderson … Read more
The East African theater of World War I was unlike any other front in the conflict. Far removed from the muddy trenches of Europe, it was a vast, unforgiving landscape where colonial ambitions, ingenious guerrilla tactics, and the relentless forces of nature combined to create a protracted struggle that would sap the strength of even the … Read more
In the vast and inhospitable landscapes of East Africa during World War I, the railway emerged as a vital lifeline for the British colonial project—a technological marvel connecting the port of Mombasa to the interior. Yet for the German commander Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and his motley force of askari and European soldiers, that very railway … Read more
Hizi chuom za history ya Kenya, there are many dark chapters, but few are as grotesquely revealing as the events of March 3, 1959, at Hola Camp. Officially, it was described as an incident where eleven Mau Mau detainees met their untimely deaths due to “pulmonary edema caused by shock and hemorrhage.” Unofficially, it was … Read more
When it comes to history, the concept of authority holds immense importance. Authority, in this context, refers to the weight and reliability of the information presented. As we strive to understand the past, the credibility of the source plays a vital role in separating fact from fiction, particularly in cases where modern tools of historical … Read more
Pre-Colonial Period Prehistoric Times Kenya’s designation as the “cradle of humanity” is rooted in its remarkable prehistoric discoveries, particularly in the Great Rift Valley, one of the world’s richest archaeological sites. Fossil evidence, such as Homo habilis (“handy man”) discovered at Olduvai Gorge and Homo erectus at Lake Turkana, demonstrates the early presence of human … Read more
The formation of the first governments is closely tied to the Neolithic Revolution around 10,000 BCE when human societies transitioned from small, mobile hunter-gatherer groups to settled agricultural communities. This shift required more formal systems of governance to manage resources, resolve disputes, and organize community labor for projects such as irrigation and defense. Early governments … Read more