IB History Kenyatta and Kenya - Origins and Rise of Independence Movements Notes

Key Questions

1. What led to the growth of nationalism in Kenya before the Second World War?
2. What was the impact of the Second World War on the growth of Nationalism?

The Growth of Nationalism before the Second World War

1. The Scramble for Africa

1. The European race or "scramble" for colonies in Africa was triggered by the Berlin Conference of 1884–85, convened by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck to decide a common colonial policy in Africa.
   1. At the time, 80% of Africa remained under traditional and local control, with European influence limited to the coast.
2. Following the conference, European powers raced to claim territory, establish borders, and assert ownership, with no regard for indigenous cultures or ethnic boundaries.
3. By 1914, most of Africa was under European colonial control.

2. British Colonization of Kenya

1. In 1895, the United Kingdom declared rule over the East Africa Protectorate, later becoming a British colony in 1920.
2. White settlers were encouraged to migrate and took control of fertile land in the Aberdare Mountains, known as the White Highlands.
   1. This had a devastating impact on the Kikuyu tribe, for whom land was life, creating deep resentment that would fuel later nationalist movements.

3. Exploitation of African Labour

1. White settlers lacked farming experience and depended heavily on African labour. As one settler stated, “We have stolen his land, now we must steal his limbs.”
2. A series of colonial regulations forced Kikuyu people off their land and into the wage economy:
   1. African Reserves were created, confining ethnic groups to designated areas. Overcrowding forced many to work on European farms, where they faced abuse and exploitation.
   2. Hut and poll taxes compelled Africans to earn wages to pay them, driving them into colonial labour markets.
   3. By 1920, all Kenyans had to carry identity cards (kipande), a symbol of oppression under British rule.
   4. Africans were barred from growing profitable cash crops like tea, coffee, and sisal, preserving settler economic dominance.

4. The ‘Squatter’ System

1. A sharecropping system known as ‘squatting’ developed, where Kikuyu families lived on European farms, working part of the year in exchange for small plots of land.
   1. This arrangement became essential to settler agriculture but was later seen as a threat, leading to harsh restrictions.