Kenyatta's Home rule

Back Ground of Kenya
In 1884-1885, Kenya officially became a British colony through the Congress of Berlin. The Congress of Berlin divided the African continents among European powers. After British had full control over Kenya they constructed a Railway that connected the ports of Uganda with Kenya to the Kenyan landlock. The increasing economic opportunities brought thousands of British settlers who displaced many Africans, often forcing them to live on reservations.
This caused resisted from the tribes. In particular the Kikuyu put up a strong fight, but were defeated by the superior military power of the British.

Fighters rounded up by the British Army

British also forced the Kenyans to work their farms in virtual slavery and made growing their own food illegal.  In the early 1920s, a Kikuyu leaders arose to encourage rebellion among tribes and founded the East Africa Association, but the leader was arrested by the British. The British after the rebellion reacted violently by killing twenty-five people this even is known as the Nairobi Massacre.

The massacre

Desiring for self-rule the Kenyans continued to unit and in 1944 they founded the Kenya African Union, which was a nationalist party. The Kikuyu leader Jomo Kenyatta returned after sixteen years of education in England and began peaceful rebellion for Kenyas independence. Kenyatta was elected president of the Kenya African Union by his tribe. 

Although Kenyatta was peaceful, some Kikuyu formed a secret group that pledged to win independence for Kenya using whatever mean necessary. This group (called Mau Mau) violently killed many officer and British in response arrested the Mau Mau and killed all the Mau Mau family they could find and putt African in a barb wired camps

Kenyatta was arrested and put in jail due to the Mau Mau acts, but he had no connection to them. While he was in Jail, two other leader from two differente tribes stepped in to fill his place (Myboya and Oginga) and they were supported by the Western Nations. Both leaders had different goals but the one common goal they had was to give Kenyans the right to vote.

In 1960, the English gave Kenyan its independence at the Lancaster House Conference and set Kenyatta free from prison in 1961. On December 12, 1963 Kenyatta was elected as the president of Kenya.


Hope and Loss


Kenya being many tribes faced conflict with in its self. When Jomo Kenyatta was became the president of Kenya after Kenya's independence, the primary goals of Kenyatta was to overcome tribalism in the country. For the first time he started appointing different members from different ethnic groups to his governmental office, including Mboya and Oginga. He created the slogan of  harambee, which meaning "Let's all pull together." While everything was going great for kenya for her start however in 1966, Oginga resined his position as vice-president to start his own political party. When Kenyatta saw that Oginga was suppurating he arrested him  fearing cultural division. After the arrest of  Oginga Kenyatta outlawed all political parties except his own justifying it by the slogan. After the outlaw of political parties on 5 July 1969, Mboya was assassinated creating tensions between the two tribes of Kenyatta and Mboya. Although there were tensions with in the country later that year when an election was held, Kenyatta won the reelection and returned political stability in the country. 

Kenyatta loved by the country

On August 22, 1978 Kenyatta died and due to his death the countries love was shown toward him, that day the entire nation mourned for his death. After Kenyatta's death the vice-president, Daniel Toroitich arap Moi took over and was reelected ninety days later as the president.

Legacy
 Jomo Kenyatta, as he was popularly known, was an important and influential statesman in Africa. He is credited with leading Kenya to independence and setting up the country as a relatively prosperous capitalist state. Kenyatta pursued a moderate pro-Western and anti-Communist economic and foreign policy. He oversaw a peaceful land reform process, the setting up of the institutions in Kenya, and sitting the Kenyan admission into the United Nations. During his reign, the country was reasonably well governed, peaceful and stable, the economy developed and grew rapidly.
However, Kenyatta was an authoritarian leader, with elements of patronage, favoritism, and tribalism. He had the Constitution amended to expand his powers, consolidating executive power. He has also been accused  for ruling through a post colonial clique comprised largely of his relatives. 

5) Bibliography
1. WENDT, SIMON. "Kenyatta, Jomo (1889?–1978)." Cold War: A Student Encyclopedia. Ed. Spencer C. Tucker. Vol. 2. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2008. 1111-1112. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 29 Nov. 2011.
2. STANFORD, ELEANOR. "Kenya." Countries and Their Cultures. Ed. Carol R. Ember and Melvin Ember. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2001. 1183-1194. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 29 Nov. 2011.