Kenya has a rich and fascinating history that dates back to 6 million BC, with the earliest known Orrorin tugenensis (one of the oldest early humans) who lived in the Tugen Hills. Today this area of Kenya is protected and preserved, and you can explore humans’ ancient history at the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi.
As the years went by, further tool-making Homo erectus and Homo sapiens were recorded, which highlights the deep roots this land has cultivated.
By 1498, the Portuguese, along with Vasco da Gama, arrived in Kenya and took rule over most of the ports including Mombasa. Two hundred years later, Arab influence forced the withdrawal of the Portuguese. Around the 1840s, European missionaries arrived, awestruck at their first sighting of Mounts Kenya and Kilimanjaro (in Tanzania).
By the 1850s, lakes Tanganyika and Victoria were discovered by Burton and Speke, which you can read about their expeditions in the historical novel by William Harrison. After increasing British influence in Kenya, the British Government acquired Kenya and Uganda to become British East Africa by 1895.
Over the following six years, Nairobi was forcibly transformed from a Maasai farming village into the railway headquarters between Mombasa and Uganda, which reached Kisumu on the edge of Lake Victoria in 1901 to open up trading between these flourishing lands. By 1920, Kenya was officially declared a British colony.
Following many attempts to further colonise Kenya, its people fought back. From 1942, members from numerous local tribes united to fight for freedom from British rule. Ten years later, Jomo Kenyatta, 61 at the time, was actively directing this movement of independence and was subsequently imprisoned along with 82 other nationalists.
The rebellion continued and in 1963, Kenya gained its independence with Jomo Kenyatta was elected as Prime Minister. Since its independence, Kenya has been paving the way for its people and, although a journey filled with its own dark history, the country continues to fight and stand together to flourish and grow for the future of its country. Today, tourism is a big part of Kenya’s growing economy and success.