The Current Effects of Colonialism in Kenya
Kenya was a British colony since the Berlin Conference held in 1885. By 1920, Kenya was fully declared a British colony and the Briton settlers occupied the territory, though the Asians and Africans were banned from any political activities until the year 1944. In the colonial period, Indians were brought to the country to build the Uganda-Kenya Railway Line, which made some of them to settle there, and continued with their trade activities (Berman, 1977). Mau Mau was formed after the year 1942, and started the resisting the colonial rule. As the rebellions continued, multiple Mau Mau leaders were detained such as Dedan Kimathi. The first African election was held in 1957, and those in the Legislative Council agitated for the release of Jomo Kenyatta from prison. In the year 1962, Jomo was set free from detention and he became the founding Prime Minister of Kenya.
The people who fought against colonialism considered it as a negative move for the country and oppression of the Kenyan citizens, but at some point, it brought some advantages. Some benefits of colonialism in Kenya were political, social, and economic advancements.
Economic Advantages
When colonial settlers came to Kenya, they built the railway line from Kenya to Uganda. More farmers from Europe were settled in the country by the year 1902. The farmers produced crops such as wheat and other products that helped improve agriculture in the country (Mukembo and Edwards, 2016). The sale of the farm products was profitable for Kenya since some of them were locally consumed while the other was transported to the neighboring nations. The railway was economical during the colonial times and has remained economical since it is still operational. Some of the current gains from the use of rail line are the transportation of oil and oil products to and fro the country. The landlocked countries that surround Kenya access the ocean via the Kenyan ports. Goods that are moved using water transport for a country like Uganda have to dock in the Kenyan port, and then be transferred via the railway or the road. In addition, the states pay levies to Kenya, which is an economic benefit for the nation, and if colonialists were not allowed in the country, some of the infrastructures could be missing.
Colonialists from Britain brought the aspect of industrialization in Kenya. Before the colonial time, Kenyans were artisans and favored traditional industries such as fish smoking and selling. On the contrary, the Britons and Indians had a different life perspective, and they approved the introduction of industries. Some of the companies created were the motor assemblies, food processing plants, and electrical producing power stations. The industries were very beneficial for the country because the products were sold for an economic gain, and this has continued to the current times. Kenya produces its electricity, assembles vehicles, and processes food and oil, which saves the country some of the costs of seeking for already processed commodities. Some of the products that are produced in Kenya such as foods are exported to other nations for an economic gain.
Political Impacts of Colonialism
Before the colonial era, Kenya did not have any stable political setup. The country was divided into territories such as clans and empires that were ruled by kings or clan elders. With group divisions, boundary conflicts were frequent, and this made the country have different political units. When the British came to the country, they introduced a centralized (Lewis, 2001) leadership, where the clan and society rulers had to report to the Prime Minister. After Kenya had gained independence, Kenyatta was the Prime Minister and acted as the central figure for uniting the country. The clan leaders were not abolished, but a power channel was created from the grass root leadership to the prime minister. In later years, Kenya got a president and he has played a crucial duty in the politics of the country because he is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. The president in his commanding position ensures the country remains politically stable by maintaining peace and order among all the societies and ensures there are good relations with the neighboring countries.
After the colonial era, more people ventured in politics of the country such as members of parliament, and this improved the community relations. The political leaders from various locations and tribes act as the spokesmen and are called upon to solve any arising conflicts; hence, ensures the country is politically stable. If it was not for colonialism, democratic elections could have taken long to be introduced to Kenya. Once the British came to the country, democratic elections were allowed, but Africans were not allowed to vie for political seats. However, after the independence, democratic elections continued and this has helped the country to remain democratic and be among the most politically stable nations in Africa.
Social Effects of Colonialism
Before colonialism, Kenyan citizens knew petite about education. The only form of education done was informal such that people were taught the best ways of life after initiation, but lacked other basics such as reading and writing. When the British settlers and colonizers entered Kenya with their families, they had to start schools to offer education for their kids. At the onset of the educational setup, Africans were not allowed to attend same schools as the whites, but were accommodated in African-based schools that lacked some social amenities. When Kenya got independence, discrimination was abolished and the kids could share the classes (Urch, 1971). In addition, same teachers were used for all the children, who enabled the African children to gain a good education and get reliable jobs that allowed them to have better living standards. Education developments have continued in the current generation, which is an advancement of what colonial powers started.
The colonialists built hospitals to take care of their population in Kenya. Initially, Kenyans used traditional medicine men and medicine to treat their people, and some of them lost their lives due to inadequate medication and attention. The introduction of hospitals played a significant role because the health standards were raised and death rates reduced. In the present Kenya, some of the famous hospitals and schools are the ones built by the colonialists and the missionaries, and they offer the required health services and education to the citizens (Wamagatta, 2008). If the colonialists were not allowed into the country, the building of the hospitals could have been delayed, causing major health issues and the existing facilities could have not yet developed to the levels they are now.
Missionaries accompanied the colonial rulers and settlers to the country. As the colonial people were fighting to control the Kenyans, the missionaries were busy spreading the religion such as Catholics and Christianity. The introduction of worship in the country was a significant contribution in defining the living styles and norms of the people since they had to live as per the religious morals. In the current world, Christianity and Muslim have become widespread in the country since they define the morals of the people, and influence some of the trends such as politics and ensuring people live harmoniously.
Before the colonialists came to Kenya, there were limited communications and contacts with other countries. The settlers brought various communication media such as telegraph and fax machines that helped the people to interact with others from different countries. The communication channels have continued to improve as time goes on until in the current situation where there are sophisticated Medias. Some of the communications channels and media in use in the current Kenya are the Internet, mobile phones, and computers, which help in networking various people inside and outside the country.
Conclusion
Some people assume colonialism to be a cynical move, especially those who were affected and subjected to discrimination and forced labor (Kenya Today - Breaking the Yoke of Colonialism in Africa, 2004). Some advantages were brought by the colonial rulers that include social amenities like schools and hospital, infrastructure, and other economic activities such as farming. If the settlers did not come to Kenya, it could have taken a longer period to set the amenities; hence, the country could not be fully developed regarding political, economic, and social setup. It is necessary to criticize some of the behaviors of the colonialist such as forced labor, but give them credit for the development projects such as railway, ports, and roads.
References
Berman, B. (1977). Explaining colonialism in Kenya*. The Journal of Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, 15(1), pp.84-88.
Kenya Today - Breaking the Yoke of Colonialism in Africa. (2004). Algora Publishing.
Lewis, J. (2001). The Ruling Compassions of the Late Colonial State: Welfare versus Force, Kenya, 1945-1952. Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History, 2(2).
Mukembo, S. and Edwards, M. (2016). Agricultural Extension in Sub-Saharan Africa During and After Its Colonial Era: The Case of Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Kenya. JIAEE.
Urch, G. (1971). Education and Colonialism in Kenya. History of Education Quarterly, 11(3), p.249.
Wamagatta, E. (2008). Changes of Government Policies Towards Mission Education in Colonial Kenya and Their Effects on the Missions: The Case of the Gospel Missionary Society. Journal of Religion in Africa, 38(1), pp.3-26.
