Jomo Kenyatta | president of Kenya | Britannica.com president of Kenya Alternative Titles: Johnstone Kamau, Kamau, son of Ngengi Jomo Kenyatta Mary Douglas Leakey Jomo Kenyatta, original name Kamau Ngengi (born c. 1894, Ichaweri, British East Africa [now in Kenya]—died August 22, 1978, Mombasa , Kenya), African statesman and nationalist, the first prime minister (1963–64) and then the first president (1964–78) of independent Kenya . Jomo Kenyatta. John Moss/Black Star Early life Kenyatta was born as Kamau, son of Ngengi, at Ichaweri, southwest of Mount Kenya in the East African highlands. His father was a leader of a small Kikuyu agricultural settlement. About age 10 Kamau became seriously ill with jigger infections in his feet and one leg, and he underwent successful surgery at a newly established Church of Scotland mission. This was his initial contact with Europeans.

Fascinated with what he had seen during his recuperation, Kamau ran away from home to become a resident pupil at the mission. He studied the Bible, English, mathematics, and carpentry and paid his fees by working as a houseboy and cook for a European settler. In August 1914 he was baptized with the name Johnstone Kamau. He was one of the earliest of the Kikuyu to leave the confines of his own culture . And, like many others, Kamau soon left the mission life for the urban attractions of Nairobi . There he secured a job as a clerk in the Public Works Department, and he also adopted the name Kenyatta, the Kikuyu term for a fancy belt that he wore. After serving briefly as an interpreter in the High Court, Kenyatta transferred to a post with the Nairobi Town Council. About this time he married and began to raise a family. The first African political protest movement in Kenya against a white-settler-dominated government began in 1921—the East Africa Association (EAA), led by an educated young Kikuyu named Harry Thuku . Kenyatta joined the following year.

One of the EAA’s main purposes was to recover Kikuyu lands lost when Kenya became a British crown colony (1920). The Africans were dispossessed, leaseholds of land were restricted to white settlers, and native reservations were established. In 1925 the EAA disbanded as a result of government pressures, and its members re-formed as the Kikuyu Central Association (KCA). Three years later Kenyatta became this organization’s general secretary, though he had to give up his municipal job as a consequence. Entrance into full-time politics In May 1928 Kenyatta launched a monthly Kikuyu-language newspaper called Mwigithania (“He Who Brings Together”), aimed at gaining support from all sections of the Kikuyu. The paper was mild in tone, preaching self-improvement, and was tolerated by the government. But soon a new challenge appeared. A British commission recommended a closer union of the three East African territories (Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika). British settler leaders supported the proposal, expecting that internal self-government might follow.

To the KCA such a prospect looked disastrous for Kikuyu interests; in February 1929 Kenyatta went to London to testify against the scheme, but in London the secretary of state for colonies refused to meet with him. In March 1930 Kenyatta wrote an eloquent letter in The Times of London setting out five issues championed by the KCA: (1) security of land tenure and the return of lands allotted to European settlers, (2) increased educational facilities, (3) repeal of hut taxes on women, which forced some to earn money by prostitution, (4) African representation in the Legislative Council, and (5) noninterference with traditional customs. He concluded by saying that the lack of these measures “must inevitably result in a dangerous explosion—the one thing all sane men wish to avoid.” Britannica Stories EU Considers Rules For Robots Again in 1931 Kenyatta’s testimony on the issue of closer union of the three colonies was refused, despite the help of liberals in the House of Commons . In the end, however, the government temporarily abandoned its plan for union.

Kenyatta did manage to testify on behalf of Kikuyu land claims in 1932 at hearings of the Carter Land Commission. The commission decided to offer compensation for some appropriated territories but maintained the “white highlands” policy, which restricted the Kikuyu to overcrowded reserves. Kenyatta subsequently visited the Soviet Union (he spent two years at Moscow State University) and traveled extensively through Europe; on his return to England he studied anthropology under Bronisław Malinowski at the London School of Economics. His thesis was revised and published in 1938 as Facing Mount Kenya , a study of the traditional life of the Kikuyu characterized by both insight and a tinge of romanticism. This book signaled another name change, to Jomo (“Burning Spear”) Kenyatta. Structures of Government: Fact or Fiction? During the 1930s Kenyatta briefly joined the Communist Party, met other black nationalists and writers, and organized protests against the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. The onset of World War II temporarily cut him off from the KCA, which was banned by the Kenya authorities as potentially subversive.

Kenyatta maintained himself in England by lecturing and working as a farm labourer, and he continued to produce political pamphlets publicizing the Kikuyu cause. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies Kenyatta helped organize the fifth Pan-African Congress , which met in Manchester, England, on October 15–18, 1945, with W.E.B. Du Bois of the United States in the chair; Kwame Nkrumah , the future leader of Ghana , was also present. Resolutions were passed and plans discussed for mass nationalist movements to demand independence from colonial rule. Return to Kenya Kenyatta returned to Kenya in September 1946 to take up leadership of the newly formed Kenya African Union , of which he was elected president in June 1947. From the Kenya African Teachers College, which he directed as an alternative to government educational institutions, Kenyatta organized a mass nationalist party. But he had to produce tangible results in return for the allegiance of his followers, and the colonial government in Kenya was still dominated by unyielding settler interests.

The “dangerous explosion” among the Kikuyu that he had predicted in 1930 erupted as the Mau Mau rebellion of 1952, which was directed against the presence of European settlers in Kenya and their ownership of land. On October 21, 1952, Kenyatta was arrested on charges of having directed the Mau Mau movement. Despite government efforts to portray Kenyatta’s trial as a criminal case, it received worldwide publicity as a political proceeding. In April 1953 Kenyatta was sentenced to a seven-year imprisonment for “managing the Mau Mau terrorist organization.” He denied the charge then and afterward, maintaining that the Kenya African Union’s political activities were not directly associated with Mau Mau violence. The British government responded to African demands by gradually steering the country toward African majority rule. In 1960 the principle of one man, one vote was conceded.

Kenyan nationalist leaders such as Tom Mboya and Oginga Odinga organized the Kenya African National Union (KANU) and elected Kenyatta (still in detention despite having completed his sentence) president in absentia; they refused to cooperate with the British while Kenyatta was detained. In a press conference Kenyatta promised that “Europeans would find a place in the future Kenya provided they took their place as ordinary citizens.” Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Kenyatta was released in August 1961, and, at the London Conference early in 1962, he negotiated the constitutional terms leading to Kenya’s independence. KANU won the preindependence election in May 1963, forming a provisional government, and Kenya celebrated its independence on December 12, 1963, with Kenyatta as prime minister. A year later Kenya became a one-party republic when the main opposition party went into voluntary liquidation. At the same time, Kenyatta became the first president of Kenya under a new constitutional amendment .

In this office he headed a strong central government, and successive constitutional amendments increased his authority, giving him, for instance, the power to arrest political opponents and detain them without trial if he considered them dangerous to public order—a power he used effectively though infrequently. To forestall any tribally based opposition, Kenyatta consistently appointed members of different ethnic groups to his government, though he relied most heavily on his fellow Kikuyu. In general, Kenya enjoyed remarkable political stability under Kenyatta’s rule, though conflicts within KANU’s political leadership did occasionally break out because of ideological differences and tribal rivalries. Kenyatta early on rejected socialist calls for the nationalization of property and instead preached a doctrine of personal and entrepreneurial effort, symbolized by his slogan “Harambee,” or “Pulling together.” Besides relying heavily on a free-market economy, he encouraged foreign investment from Western and other countries. Largely as a result of his policies, Kenya’s gross national product grew almost fivefold from 1971 to 1981, and its rate of economic growth was among the highest on the continent in the first two decades after independence.

But though economic growth benefited large numbers of people, it also led to tremendous disparities of wealth, much of which was in the hands of Kenyatta’s family and close associates. This concentration of wealth, along with an extremely high rate of population growth, meant that most Kenyans did not realize a correspondingly large increase in their living standards under Kenyatta’s leadership. Trending Topics Jomo Kenyatta - Early Days to His Political Awakening Jomo Kenyatta - Early Days to His Political Awakening Part 1: From Early Days to His Political Awakening Jomo Kenyatta Monument, City Square, Nairobi. Mark Daffey / Getty Images By Alistair Boddy-Evans Updated August 21, 2016. First president of Kenya and prominent independence leader. Born into dominant Kikuyu culture, Kenyatta became its most famous interpreter of Kikuyu traditions through his book Facing Mount Kenya.

Date of Birth: Early 1890s1, Gatundu Division, Central Highlands, British East Africa (now Kenya) Date of Death: 22 August 1978 Early Life Jomo Kenyatta was born Kamau to parents Moigoi and Wamboi -- his father was the chief of a small agricultural village in Gatundu Division, Kiambu District - one of five administrative districts in the Central Highlands of British East Africa. Moigoi died when Kamau was very young and he was, as custom dictated, adopted by his uncle Ngengi to become Kamau wa Ngengi. Ngengi also took over the chiefdom and Moigoi's wife Wamboi. When his mother died giving birth to a boy, James Moigoi, Kamau moved to live with his grandfather, Kungu Mangana, who was a noted medicine man2 in the area. Around the age of 10, suffering form a jigger infection, Kamau was taken to the Church of Scotland mission at Thogoto (about 12 miles north of Nairobi), where surgery was successfully carried out on both feet and one leg.

continue reading below our video 10 Facts About the Titanic That You Don't Know Kamau was impressed by his first exposure to Europeans and determined to join the mission school. He ran away from home to become a resident pupil at the mission, studying amongst other subjects, the Bible, English, mathematics, and carpentry. He paid the school fees by working as a houseboy and cook for a nearby white settler. British East Africa During World War I In 1912, having completed his mission school education, Kamau became an apprentice carpenter. The following year he underwent initiation ceremonies ( including circumcision ) and became a member of the kehiomwere age group. In August of 1914 Kamau was baptized at the Church of Scotland mission, initially taking the name John Peter Kamau, but swiftly changing it to Johnson Kamau. Looking to the future, he departed the mission for Nairobi to seek employment. Initially, he worked as an apprentice carpenter on a sisal farm in Thika, under the tutelage of John Cook, who had been in charge of the building program at Thogoto.

As World War I progressed, able-bodied Kikuyu were forced into work by the British authorities, to avoid this, Kamau moved to Narok, living amongst the Maasai, where he worked as a clerk for an Asian contractor. It was around this time that he took to wearing a traditional beaded belt known as a 'Kenyatta', a Swahili word which means 'light of Kenya'. Marriage and Family In 1919 he met and married his first wife Grace Wahu, according to Kikuyu tradition. When it became apparent that Grace was pregnant, his church elders ordered him to get married before a European magistrate and undertake the appropriate church rites. (The civil ceremony didn't take place until November 1922.) On 20 November 1920 Kamau's first son, Peter Muigai, was born. Amongst other jobs he undertook during this period, Kamau served as an interpreter in the Nairobi High Court and ran a store out of his Dagoretti (an area of Nairobi) home.

Jomo Kenyatta In 1922 Kamau adopted the name Jomo (a Kikuyu name meaning 'burning spear') Kenyatta, and began working for the Nairobi Municipal Council Public Works Department (once again under John Cook who is the Water Superintendent) as a store clerk and water-meter reader. It was also the start of his political career -- the previous year Harry Thuku, a well educated and respected Kikuyu, had formed the East African Association, EAA, to campaign for the return of Kikuyu lands given over to white settlers when the country became the British Crown Colony of Kenya in 1920. Kenyatta joined the EAA in 1922. A Start in Politics In 1925 the EAA disbanded under governmental pressure, but its members came together again as the Kikuyu Central Association, KCA, as formed by James Beauttah and Joseph Kangethe. Kenyatta worked as editor of the KCA's journal between 1924 and 1929, and by 1928 he had become the KCA's general secretary (having given up his job with the municipality to make time).

In May 1928 Kenyatta launched a monthly Kikuyu-language newspaper called Mwigwithania (Kikuyu word meaning 'he who brings together') which was intended to draw all sections of the Kikuyu together. The paper, supported by an Asian-owned printing press, had a mild and unassuming tone, and was tolerated by the British authorities. The Territory's Future in Question Worried about the future of its East African territories, the British government began toying with the idea of forming a union of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika. Whilst this was fully supported by white settlers in the Central Highlands, it would be disastrous to Kikuyu interests -- it was believed that the settlers would be given self-government and that the rights of the Kikuyu would be ignored. In February 1929 Kenyatta was dispatched to London to represent the KCA in discussions with the Colonial Office, but the Secretary of State for the Colonies refused to meet him. Undeterred, Kenyatta wrote several letters to British papers, including The Times.

Kenyatta's letter published in The Times in March 1930 set out five points: The security of land tenure and the demand for land taken by European settlers to be returned Improved educational opportunities for Black Africans The repeal of Hut and poll taxes Representation for Black Africans in the Legislative Council Freedom to pursue traditional customs (such as female genital mutilation) His letter concluded by saying that a failure to satisfy these points "must inevitably result in a dangerous explosion -- the one thing all sane men with to avoid". He returned to Kenya on 24 September 1930, landing at Mombassa. He had failed on his quest for all except one point, the right to develop independent educational institutions for Black Africans. Next > Part 3: From the Mau Mau Rebellion to Presidency Notes 1 Kenyatta maintained he did not remember the year of his birth. Many sources now cite 20 October 1891 as the correct date. 2 Kenyatta refers to his grandfather in his book Facing Mount Kenya as a seer and a magician. Jomo Kenyatta | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Religion Presbyterian Jomo Kenyatta pron.

(~1889 – 22 August 1978) was the leader of Kenya from independence in 1963 to his death in 1978, serving first as Prime Minister (1963–64) and then as President (1964–78). He is considered the founding father of the Kenyan nation. He was a well educated intellectual who authored several books, and is remembered as a Pan-Africanist. He is also the father of Kenya's fourth and current President Uhuru Kenyatta . Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport , Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi's main street and main streets in many Kenyan cities and towns, numerous schools, two universities ( Kenyatta University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology ), the country's main referral hospital, markets and housing estates are named after him, considered by some a quasi-monarchical leader. A statue in Nairobi city centre and monuments all over Kenya stand in his honour. Kenya observed a public holiday every 20 October in his honour until the 2010 constitution abolished Kenyatta Day and replaced it with Mashujaa (Heroes') day.

Kenyatta's face adorns Kenyan currency notes and coins of all denominations (save the 40 shilling coin), but this is expected to change as Kenya's 2010 constitution bars the use of the portrait of any person on Kenya's currency. Contents Edit Jomo Kenyatta was born Kamau wa Ngengi to parents Ngengi wa Muigai and Wambui in the village of Gatundu , in British East Africa (now Kenya), a member of the Kikuyu . His date of birth, sometime in the early to mid-1890s, is unclear, and was unclear even to him, as his parents were almost certainly not literate, and no formal birth records of native Africans were kept in Kenya at that time. [2] [3] His father died while Kamau was very young, after which, as was the custom, he was adopted by his uncle Ngengi, who also inherited his mother, to become Kamau wa Ngengi. When his mother died during childbirth, young Kamau moved from Ng'enda to Muthiga to live with his medicine man grandfather Kũngũ wa Magana, to whom he became very close.

He then left home to become a resident pupil at the Church of Scotland Mission (CSM) at Thogoto, close to Kikuyu Town , about 12 miles north-west of Nairobi. He studied amongst other subjects: the Bible, English, mathematics and carpentry. He paid the school fees by working as a houseboy and cook for a white settler living nearby. In 1912, having completed his mission school education, he became an apprentice carpenter. The following year he underwent initiation ceremonies, including circumcision, to become a member of the kihiu-mwiri age group. In 1914, he converted to Christianity, assuming the name John Peter, which he then changed to Johnstone Kamau. He left the mission later that year to seek employment. [3] He first worked as an apprentice carpenter on a sisal farm in Thika , under the tutelage of John Cook, who had been in charge of the building programme at Thogoto. During the First World War , Kikuyu were forced into work by the British authorities. To avoid this, he lived with Maasai relatives in Narok , where he worked as a clerk for an Asian contractor.

[3] In 1919 he married Grace Wahu , under Kikuyu customs. When Grace got pregnant, his church elders ordered him to get married before a European magistrate, and undertake the appropriate church rites. On 20 November 1920 Kamau's first son Peter Muigai, was born. Kamau served as an interpreter in the Nairobi High Court, and ran a store out of his Dagoretti home during this period. [3] He eventually married Grace Wahu in a civil ceremony in 1922. Grace Wahu lived in the Dagoretti home until her death in April 2007 at the age of around 100. In 1922 Kamau began working, as a store clerk and water-meter reader for the Nairobi Municipal Council Public Works Department, once again under John Cook who was the Water Superintendent. [2] Meter reading helped him meet many Kenyan-Asians at their homes who would become important allies later on. He entered politics after taking interest in the political activities of James Beauttah and Joseph Kang'ethe the leaders of the Kikuyu Central Association (KCA).

He joined KCA in 1924 and rose up the ranks of the association. Eventually he began to edit the movement's Kikuyu newspaper. By 1928 he had become the KCA's general secretary. In 1928 he launched a monthly Kikuyu language newspaper called Muĩgwithania (Reconciler) which aimed to unite all sections of the Kikuyu. The paper, supported by an Asian-owned printing press, had a mild and unassuming tone, and was tolerated by the colonial government. [3] He also made a presentation on Kikuyu land problems before the Hilton Young Commission in Nairobi in the same year. Overseas Edit Plaque in London In 1929 the KCA sent Kenyatta to London to lobby on its behalf with regards to Kikuyu tribal land affairs. Using the name Johnstone Kenyatta, he published articles and letters to the editor in The Times and the Manchester Guardian . [4] He returned to Kenya on 24 September 1930 and was welcomed at Mombasa by his wife Wahu and James Beauttah .

He then took part, on the side of traditionalists, in the debate on the issue of female genital mutilation of girls. He later worked for Kikuyu Independent Schools in Githunguri. [5] He returned to London in 1931 and enrolled in Woodbrooke Quaker College in Birmingham. Discouraged by the lack of official response to the land claims he was putting forward, he began an association with British Communists, who published articles he wrote in their publications.In 1932 to 1933, he briefly studied economics in Moscow at the Comintern School, KUTVU ( University of the Toilers of the East ) but left after the Soviet Union (worried about Hitler's growing power and seeing Britain and France as potential allies) withdrew its support for the movement against British and French colonial rule in Africa. [4] In 1934, Kenyatta enrolled at University College London and from 1935 studied social anthropology under Bronisław Malinowski at the London School of Economics (LSE).

He was an active member of the International African Service Bureau , a pan-Africanist, anti-colonial organisation that had formed around former international communist leader George Padmore , who had also become disillusioned with the Soviet Union and himself moved to London. Kenyatta read the draft of the Kenya section of Padmore's new book, How Britain Rules Africa (1936). [6] With the editorial help of an English editor named Dinah Stock who became a close friend, Kenyatta published his own book, Facing Mount Kenya (his revised LSE thesis), in 1938 under his new name, Jomo Kenyatta. [7] The name "Jomo" is translated in English to "Burning Spear", while the name "Kenyatta" was said[ by whom? ] to be a reference to the beaded Masai belt he wore, and later to "the Light of Kenya". After the war, he wrote a pamphlet (with some content contributed by Padmore), Kenya: The Land of Conflict, published by the International African Service Bureau under the imprint Panaf Service.

[8] Kenyatta acted as an extra in the film Sanders of the River (1934), directed by Alexander Korda and starring Paul Robeson .[ citation needed ] During World War II , he worked as a labourer at an English farm in Sussex, and lectured on Africa for the Workers' Educational Association .[ citation needed ] In 1942, he married an Englishwoman, Edna Clarke. He also published My People of Kikuyu and The Life of Chief Wang'ombe, a history shading into legend. Edna gave birth to their son, Peter Magana, in 1943. [9] In 1945, with other prominent African nationalist figures, such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Kenyatta helped organise the fifth Pan-African Congress held in Britain. [10] Return to Kenya Kenyatta at the Eldoret Agricultural Show, 1968 Kenyatta returned to Kenya in 1946, after almost 15 years abroad.

He married for the third time, to Grace Wanjiku, Senior Chief Koinange 's daughter, and sister to Mbiyu Koinange (who later became a lifelong confidant and was one of the most powerful politicians during Kenyatta's presidency). Kenyatta then went into teaching, becoming principal of Kenya Teachers College Githunguri. In 1947, he was elected president of the Kenya African Union (KAU). He began to receive death threats from white settlers after his election.[ citation needed ] From 1948 to 1951 he toured and lectured around the country condemning idleness, robbery, urging hard work while campaigning for the return of land given to white settlers and for independence within three years. His wife, Grace Wanjiku, died in childbirth in 1950 as she gave birth to daughter Jane Wambui, who survived.[ citation needed ] In 1951 Kenyatta married Ngina Muhoho, daughter of Chief Muhoho. She was popularly referred to as Mama Ngina and was independent Kenya's First Lady , when Kenyatta was elected President.

The Mau Mau Rebellion began in 1951 and KAU was banned, and a state of emergency was declared on 20 October 1952.[ citation needed ] Trial and imprisonment Edit Kenyatta was arrested in October 1952 and indicted with five others on the charges of "managing and being a member" of the Mau Mau Society, a radical anti-colonial movement engaged in rebellion against Kenya's British rulers. The accused were known as the " Kapenguria Six ".[ citation needed ] The trial lasted five months: Rawson Macharia , the main prosecution witness, turned out to have perjured himself; the judge—who had only recently been awarded an unusually large pension, [11] and who maintained secret contact with the then colonial Governor of Kenya Evelyn Baring [12] during the trial—was openly hostile to the defendants' cause. The defence, led by British barrister D.N. Pritt , argued that the white settlers were trying to scapegoat Kenyatta and that there was no evidence tying him to the Mau Mau.

The court sentenced Kenyatta on 8 April 1953 to seven years' imprisonment with hard labour and indefinite restriction thereafter. [13] The subsequent appeal was refused by the British Privy Council in 1954. Kenyatta remained in prison until 1959, after which he was detained in Lodwar , a remote part of Kenya. The state of emergency was lifted on 12 January 1960. [14] On 28 February 1961, a public meeting of 25,000 in Nairobi demanded his release. On 15 April 1960, over a million signatures for a plea to release him were presented to the Governor. On 14 May 1960, he was elected KANU President in absentia. On 23 March 1961, Kenyan leaders, including Daniel arap Moi, later his longtime Vice President and successor as president, visited him at Lodwar. On 11 April 1961, he was moved to Maralal with daughter Margaret where he met world press for the first time in eight years.

On 14 August 1961, he was released and brought to Gatundu to a hero's welcome.[ citation needed ] While contemporary opinion linked Kenyatta with the Mau Mau, historians have questioned his alleged leadership of the radical movement. [15] Kenyatta was in truth a political moderate. His marriage of Colonial Chief's daughters, his post independence Kikuyu allies mainly being former colonial collaborators (though also from his tribe), and his short shrift treatment of former Mau Mau fighters after he came to power, all strongly suggest he had scant regard for the Mau Mau. Leadership Jomo Kenyatta and President of West Germany Heinrich Lübke in 1966 Pre-independence Edit Kenyatta was admitted into the Legislative Council after his release in 1961, after Kariuki Njiiri (son of late Chief Njiiri) gave up his Kigumo seat for him. In 1961 and 1962, he led the KANU delegation to first and second Lancaster Conference in London where Kenya's independence constitution was negotiated.

Elections were then held in May 1963, pitting Kenyatta's KANU (Kenya African National Union- which advocated for Kenya to be a unitary state ) against KADU (Kenya African Democratic Union - which advocated for Kenya to be an ethnic-federal state). KANU beat KADU by winning 83 seats out of 124. On 1 June 1963, Kenyatta became prime minister of the autonomous Kenyan government. After independence, Queen Elizabeth II remained as Head of State (after Independence, styled as Queen of Kenya), represented by a Governor-General. He consistently asked white settlers not to leave Kenya and supported reconciliation. Post-independence Edit Presidential Standard of Jomo Kenyatta Kenyatta retained the role of prime minister after independence was declared and jubilantly celebrated on 12 December 1963. [16] On 1 June 1964, had Parliament amend the Constitution to make Kenya a republic. The office of prime minister was replaced by a president with wide executive and legislative powers. Elected by the National Assembly, he was head of State, head of Government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.

Under the provisions of the amendment, Kenyatta automatically became president. His policy was that of continuity and gradual Africanisation of the government, keeping many colonial civil servants in their old jobs as they were gradually replaced by Kenyans. He asked for British troops' help against Somali rebels, Shiftas , in the northeast and in ending an army mutiny in Nairobi in January 1964. On 10 November 1964, KADU officially dissolved and its representatives joined KANU, forming a single party. Kenyatta was re-elected un-opposed in 1966, and the next year had the Constitution amended to expand his powers. This term featured border conflicts with Somalia , and more political opposition. He consolidated his power greatly, and placed several of his Kikuyu tribesmen in most of the powerful state and security offices and posts. State security forces harassed dissidents and were suspected of complicity in several murders of prominent personalities deemed as threats to his regime, including Pio Gama Pinto , Tom Mboya and J.M. Kariuki . [17] MP and Lawyer C.M.G.

Argwings-Kodhek and former Kadu Leader and minister Ronald Ngala , also died in suspicious car accidents. In 1968 he published his biography Suffering Without Bitterness. 1973 newsreel about Kenyatta's rule In the 1969 elections, Kenyatta banned the only other party, the Kenya People's Union (formed and led by his former vice president, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga who had been forced to quit KANU along with his left leaning allies), detained its leaders, and called elections in which only KANU was allowed to participate. For all intents and purposes, Kenya was now a one-party state. On 29 January 1970 he was sworn in as President for a further term. For the remainder of his presidency, Kenyatta held complete political control of the country. He made use of detention, appeals to ethnic loyalties, and careful appointment of government jobs to maintain his commanding position in Kenya’s political system. [18] However, as the 1970s wore on, advancing age kept him from the day-to-day management of government affairs. He intervened only when necessary to settle disputed issues.

His relative isolation resulted in increasing domination of Kenya’s affairs by well-connected Kikuyu who acquired great wealth as a result. [18] [19] Kenyatta was re-elected as President in 1974, again as the only candidate. [18] On 5 Nov 1974, he was sworn in as President for a third term. [2] His increasingly feeble health meant that his inner circle effectively ruled the country, and greatly enriched themselves, in his name. [19] He remained president until his death four years later in 1978. Death Edit President Kenyatta had suffered a heart attack in 1966. He would in the mid-seventies lapse into periodic comas lasting from a few hours to a few days from time to time. In April 1977, then well into his 80s, he suffered a massive heart attack. [19] On 14 August 1978, he hosted his entire family, including his son Peter Magana who flew in from Britain with his family, to a reunion in Mombasa.

On 22 August 1978, President Kenyatta died in Mombasa of natural causes attributable to old age. Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was buried on 31 August 1978 in Nairobi in a state funeral at a mausoleum on Parliament grounds. He was succeeded as President after his death by his vice-president Daniel arap Moi . [20] Legacy Edit A statue of Kenyatta at the KICC in Nairobi Mzee 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 . He pursued a moderate pro-Western, anti-Communist economic philosophy and foreign policy. [21] [22] [23] He oversaw a peaceful land reform process, oversaw the setting up of the institutions of independent Kenya, and also oversaw Kenya's admission into the United Nations.

However, Kenyatta was not without major flaws, and did also bequeath Kenya some major problems which continue to bedevil the country to date, hindering her development, and threatening her existence as a peaceful unitary multi-ethnic state. [24] He failed to mould Kenya, being its founding father, into a homogeneous multi-ethnic state. Instead, the country became and remains a de facto confederation of competing tribes. His authoritarian style, characterized by patronage, favouritism, tribalism and/or nepotism drew criticism and dissent, and set a bad example followed by his successors. He had the Constitution radically amended to expand his powers, consolidating executive power. [25] He is also criticised for having ruled through a post colonial clique consisting largely of his relatives, other Kikuyus, mostly from his native Kiambu district, Offspring of former colonial chiefs, and African Kikuyu colonial collaborators and their offspring, while giving scant reward to those whom most consider the real fighters for Kenya's independence. This clique became and remains the wealthiest, most powerful and most influential class in Kenya to date.

[19] [26] Kenyatta has further been criticised for encouraging the culture of wealth accumulation by public officials using the power and influence of their offices, thereby deeply entrenching corruption in Kenya. [27] He is regularly charged with having personally grabbed and accumulated huge land holdings in Kenya. "The regime of Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta, was riddled with land grabbing which was perpetrated by him for his benefit and members of his family...between 1964 and 1966, one-sixth of European settlers’ lands that were intended for settlement of landless and land-scarce Africans were cheaply sold to the then President Kenyatta and his wife Ngina as well as his children...throughout the years of President Kenyatta’s administration, his relatives friends and officials in his administration also benefited from the vice with wanton impunity." a report by Kenya's Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission was recently quoted as saying [28] His policies are also criticised for leading to a large income and development inequality gap in the country. Development and resource allocation in the country during his reign was seen to have favoured some regions of the country over others.

[24] His resettlement of many Kikuyu tribesmen in the country's Rift Valley province is widely considered to have been done unfairly. [24] [29] One of his famous sayings is the following : “When the Missionaries arrived, the Africans had the land and the Missionaries had the Bible. They taught how to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened them, they had the land and we had the Bible.”[ citation needed ] Family Main article: Kenyatta family Kenyatta had two children from his first marriage with Grace Wahu: son Peter Muigai Kenyatta (born 1920), who later became a deputy minister; and daughter Margaret Kenyatta (born 1928). Margaret served as mayor of Nairobi between 1970–76 and then as Kenya's ambassador to the United Nations from 1976-86. Grace Wahu died in April 2007. [30] He had one son, Peter Magana Kenyatta (born 1943) from his short marriage with Edna Clarke.

[31] His third wife, Grace Wanjiku, died when giving birth in 1950. Daughter Jane Wambui survived. [32] His fourth wife, the best known due to her role as First Lady , was Ngina Kenyatta (née Muhoho), also known as Mama Ngina. She often accompanied him in public and also has some streets in Nairobi and Mombasa named after her. She bore Kenyatta four children: Christine Wambui (born 1952), Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (born 1961), Anna Nyokabi (also known as Jeni) and Muhoho Kenyatta (born 1964). Mama Ngina lives quietly as a wealthy widow, and now as President's mother, in Kenya. Uhuru Kenyatta, Mzee Kenyatta's political heir, unsuccessfully vied for the Kenyan presidency as President Moi's preferred successor in 2002, but was elected Kenya's fourth President in 2013 . Muhoho Kenyatta runs the Kenyatta's vast family business but lives out of the public limelight.

Kenyatta was the uncle of Ngethe Njoroge , Kenya's first representative to the United Nations and the great uncle of Tom Morello , the guitarist for Rage Against the Machine . His niece, Beth Mugo , married to a retired ambassador, was an MP, served as Minister for Public Health and is now a nominated Senator.

Bibliography My people of Kikuyu and the life of Chief Wangombe (1944) Suffering Without Bitterness (biography 1968) Kenya: The land of conflict (1971) The challenge of Uhuru;: The progress of Kenya, 1968 to 1970 (1971) Books about Jomo Kenyatta Guy Arnold (1974), Kenyatta and the politics of Kenya, London: Dent ISBN 0-460-07878-X Jeremy Murray-Brown (1979), Kenyatta, Allen & Unwin, ISBN 0-04-920059-3 George Delf (1961), Jomo Kenyatta: Towards Truth about "The Light of Kenya" New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-8371-8307-3 Rawson Macharia (1991), The Truth about the Trial of Jomo Kenyatta, Nairobi: Longman.

ISBN 9966-49-823-0 Veena Malhotra (1990), Kenya Under Kenyatta Kalinga. ISBN 81-85163-16-2 Montagu Slater (1955), The trial of Jomo Kenyatta London: Secker and Warburg. ISBN 0-436-47200-7 Elizabeth Watkins, (1993) Jomo's Jailor — Grand Warrior of Kenya Mulberry Books ISBN 978-0-9528952-0-6 Caroline Elkins, (2005) Imperial Reckoning. Henry Holt and Co ISBN 0-8050-7653- Films about Jomo Kenyatta Anthony Howarth & David Koff (1973), Kenyatta Part 3 of The Black Man's Land Trilogy [2] See also Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta | Who's Who Profile | Africa Confidential Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta Displaying 1-10 out of 189 results.

1 'Afrexit' on hold 2nd December 2016 Once charged by the ICC, President Uhuru Kenyatta has not had a change of heart but is currently focusing on getting Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed elected as the AU's next chairperson in January and Kenya needs as many votes as it can get, including those of ICC members... Vol 57 No 23 | Nairobi flaunts its credentials 18th November 2016 If President Uhuru Kenyatta comes out of the evaluation looking good, he will use it to boost his image... Vol 57 No 23 | Empty words on graft 18th November 2016 During the 2013 presidential election campaign, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his running-mate William Ruto promised Kenyans that they would end the corruption that had bedevilled previous governments...

Vol 57 No 22 | More talk talk than walk walk 4th November 2016 The quality of its investigations and its ability to protect witnesses has fallen far short of requirements and these weaknesses have been exploited by the richer and better connected defendants, such as Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy, William Ruto... For example, ex-indictees President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto were coming and going almost at will while their fellow Kenyan indictee, radio announcer Joshua arap Sang, was required to attend the Court full time... BBC ON THIS DAY | 27 | 1963: Kenyatta to be Kenya's first premier About This Site | Text Only 1963: Kenyatta to be Kenya's first premier Jomo Kenyatta is certain to become prime minister after his party, Kenya African Nation Union, won the country's first general election. Thousands of Kenyans ran through the rain-drenched streets of Nairobi tonight cheering at news of the results.

Let there be forgiveness Jomo Kenyatta Latest figures show KANU has a majority in the House of Representatives - with 58 seats - over Ronald Ngala's Kenya African Democratic Union which has 28 seats. The only white candidate, Edward Hawkins, has lost his deposit. In an address to the nation, Mr Kenyatta, aged 73 and known by his fellow Kikuyu as "Burning Spear", called for tribal and racial differences to be buried in favour of national unity under "the principles of democratic African socialism". He said although his government aimed to free itself from British colonialism, it would not try to avenge past injustices. "We are not to look to the past - racial bitterness, the denial of fundamental rights, the suppression of our culture... Let there be forgiveness," he said. Tomorrow, he will be summoned by the British Governor, Malcolm MacDonald, to form a government in Government House. "Leader to darkness and death" It was here just three years ago that Mr Kenyatta was described by former governor Sir Patrick Renison as "the African leader to darkness and death".

Ten years ago, Mr Kenyatta, was jailed and later sent into internal exile by the British for his alleged involvement in the Mau Mau movement, a secret society of the Kikuyu tribe bent on achieving independence from Britain. More than 14,000 Africans and Asians and 95 whites died between 1952 and 1957 during the Mau Mau rebellion. The pressure of other African states for independence led to Mr Kenyatta's release in 1961 after which he discussed a new constitution for Kenya with the British. Obama speaks with Kenya president about support for refugees Obama speaks with Kenya president about support for refugees Pin it Share U.S. President Barack Obama (R) walks with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta as he departs for Ethiopia aboard Air Force One from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi July 26, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst More WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama spoke by telephone on Thursday with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta about the need for strong international support for refugees living in the East African country, the White House said.

Obama and Kenyatta "agreed that the United States and Kenya would work closely together on this issue, to better ensure that the needs of refugees and host communities are met," the White House said in a statement. (Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe, editing by G Crosse) Reblog Jomo Kenyatta - Early Days to His Political Awakening Jomo Kenyatta - Early Days to His Political Awakening Part 1: From Early Days to His Political Awakening Jomo Kenyatta Monument, City Square, Nairobi. Mark Daffey / Getty Images By Alistair Boddy-Evans Updated August 21, 2016. First president of Kenya and prominent independence leader. Born into dominant Kikuyu culture, Kenyatta became its most famous interpreter of Kikuyu traditions through his book Facing Mount Kenya.

Date of Birth: Early 1890s1, Gatundu Division, Central Highlands, British East Africa (now Kenya) Date of Death: 22 August 1978 Early Life Jomo Kenyatta was born Kamau to parents Moigoi and Wamboi -- his father was the chief of a small agricultural village in Gatundu Division, Kiambu District - one of five administrative districts in the Central Highlands of British East Africa. Moigoi died when Kamau was very young and he was, as custom dictated, adopted by his uncle Ngengi to become Kamau wa Ngengi. Ngengi also took over the chiefdom and Moigoi's wife Wamboi. When his mother died giving birth to a boy, James Moigoi, Kamau moved to live with his grandfather, Kungu Mangana, who was a noted medicine man2 in the area. Around the age of 10, suffering form a jigger infection, Kamau was taken to the Church of Scotland mission at Thogoto (about 12 miles north of Nairobi), where surgery was successfully carried out on both feet and one leg.

continue reading below our video 10 Facts About the Titanic That You Don't Know Kamau was impressed by his first exposure to Europeans and determined to join the mission school. He ran away from home to become a resident pupil at the mission, studying amongst other subjects, the Bible, English, mathematics, and carpentry. He paid the school fees by working as a houseboy and cook for a nearby white settler. British East Africa During World War I In 1912, having completed his mission school education, Kamau became an apprentice carpenter. The following year he underwent initiation ceremonies ( including circumcision ) and became a member of the kehiomwere age group. In August of 1914 Kamau was baptized at the Church of Scotland mission, initially taking the name John Peter Kamau, but swiftly changing it to Johnson Kamau. Looking to the future, he departed the mission for Nairobi to seek employment. Initially, he worked as an apprentice carpenter on a sisal farm in Thika, under the tutelage of John Cook, who had been in charge of the building program at Thogoto.

As World War I progressed, able-bodied Kikuyu were forced into work by the British authorities, to avoid this, Kamau moved to Narok, living amongst the Maasai, where he worked as a clerk for an Asian contractor. It was around this time that he took to wearing a traditional beaded belt known as a 'Kenyatta', a Swahili word which means 'light of Kenya'. Marriage and Family In 1919 he met and married his first wife Grace Wahu, according to Kikuyu tradition. When it became apparent that Grace was pregnant, his church elders ordered him to get married before a European magistrate and undertake the appropriate church rites. (The civil ceremony didn't take place until November 1922.) On 20 November 1920 Kamau's first son, Peter Muigai, was born. Amongst other jobs he undertook during this period, Kamau served as an interpreter in the Nairobi High Court and ran a store out of his Dagoretti (an area of Nairobi) home.

Jomo Kenyatta In 1922 Kamau adopted the name Jomo (a Kikuyu name meaning 'burning spear') Kenyatta, and began working for the Nairobi Municipal Council Public Works Department (once again under John Cook who is the Water Superintendent) as a store clerk and water-meter reader. It was also the start of his political career -- the previous year Harry Thuku, a well educated and respected Kikuyu, had formed the East African Association, EAA, to campaign for the return of Kikuyu lands given over to white settlers when the country became the British Crown Colony of Kenya in 1920. Kenyatta joined the EAA in 1922. A Start in Politics In 1925 the EAA disbanded under governmental pressure, but its members came together again as the Kikuyu Central Association, KCA, as formed by James Beauttah and Joseph Kangethe. Kenyatta worked as editor of the KCA's journal between 1924 and 1929, and by 1928 he had become the KCA's general secretary (having given up his job with the municipality to make time).

In May 1928 Kenyatta launched a monthly Kikuyu-language newspaper called Mwigwithania (Kikuyu word meaning 'he who brings together') which was intended to draw all sections of the Kikuyu together. The paper, supported by an Asian-owned printing press, had a mild and unassuming tone, and was tolerated by the British authorities. The Territory's Future in Question Worried about the future of its East African territories, the British government began toying with the idea of forming a union of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika. Whilst this was fully supported by white settlers in the Central Highlands, it would be disastrous to Kikuyu interests -- it was believed that the settlers would be given self-government and that the rights of the Kikuyu would be ignored. In February 1929 Kenyatta was dispatched to London to represent the KCA in discussions with the Colonial Office, but the Secretary of State for the Colonies refused to meet him. Undeterred, Kenyatta wrote several letters to British papers, including The Times.

Kenyatta's letter published in The Times in March 1930 set out five points: The security of land tenure and the demand for land taken by European settlers to be returned Improved educational opportunities for Black Africans The repeal of Hut and poll taxes Representation for Black Africans in the Legislative Council Freedom to pursue traditional customs (such as female genital mutilation) His letter concluded by saying that a failure to satisfy these points "must inevitably result in a dangerous explosion -- the one thing all sane men with to avoid". He returned to Kenya on 24 September 1930, landing at Mombassa. He had failed on his quest for all except one point, the right to develop independent educational institutions for Black Africans. Next > Part 3: From the Mau Mau Rebellion to Presidency Notes 1 Kenyatta maintained he did not remember the year of his birth. Many sources now cite 20 October 1891 as the correct date. 2 Kenyatta refers to his grandfather in his book Facing Mount Kenya as a seer and a magician.

BBC ON THIS DAY | 21 | 1952: Kenyatta arrested in security raid About This Site | Text Only 1952: Kenyatta arrested in security raid Leading African nationalist Jomo Kenyatta has been arrested following the declaration of a state of emergency in the British colony of Kenya. He was among about 100 prominent Kenyans detained in the past 24 hours as part of a clampdown on the rebel Mau Mau movement. The Mau Mau is demanding immediate self-government and is blamed for the mounting "lawlessness, violence and disorder" in the colony. Jomo Kenyatta stands accused of leading the extremist wing of the Mau Mau and of inciting hatred and violence against Europeans through a series of oaths of allegiance. Mau Mau terrorism is carefully planned, centrally directed and its object is to destroy all authority Secretary of State Oliver Lyttleton Members are called on to steal firearms from Europeans, not to sell land to Europeans and kill Europeans when asked to by the leadership. Government officials say 37 people have been murdered by the Mau Mau - and the vast majority of killings have taken place in the past three months.

Secretary of State for the Colonies Oliver Lyttleton told the House of Commons in London: "Mau Mau terrorism is carefully planned, centrally directed, and its object is to destroy all authority other than Mau Mau. "Its leaders are establishing their own courts in their attempt to usurp the functions of government. Action against these leaders was imperative." In a further sign of its concern at the growing lawlessness in Kenya, the government is deploying British troops in the region. The 1st Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers have just arrived from the Middle East - although Mr Lyttleton stressed this was a precautionary measure. Mr Kenyatta was arrested by Kenyan police at his home, where he had been asleep. He apparently made no attempt to resist arrest. He was a student in London between 1929 and 1946, where he studied anthropology as a pupil of the renowned anthropologist, Professor Malinowski. It was here he became a committed African nationalist convinced of the need to develop education. Since returning to Kenya, he has established a school movement independent of the state and funded by Kikuyu tribesmen.

The Mau Mau has drawn its supporters from the Kikuyu people, the majority of whom live in the crowded reserves of Kiambu, Nyeri and Fort Hall. They regard land as their only form of security and many now have too little to be able to make a living. They resent the fact the Europeans farm the much more profitable and sparsely-populated so-called "White Highlands" and therefore have a much better standard of living. The British Government had hoped the policy of arresting the Mau Mau leadership would put an end to the rising tide of violence. But there have been warnings of retaliation. Another of the oaths taken by Mau Mau members is to follow Mr Kenyatta if he is arrested and try to free him. Jomo Kenyatta (Politician) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Jomo Kenyatta First Prime Minister and First President of Kenya Male Born 1894 Jomo Kenyatta served as the first Prime Minister (1963â1964) and President (1964â1978) of Kenya. He is considered the founding father of the Kenyan nation.

In Kenya, Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi's main street and main streets in many Kenyan cities and towns, numerous schools, two Universities, the country's main referral hospital, markets, and housing estates are named after him.… Read More related links Tom Morello On Rage And Rebellion Vancouver Sun Google News - Aug 29, 2011 'His father was Kenyan and a returned to that country to help fight for independence: Morello&#39;s great uncle, <mark>Jomo Kenyatta</mark>, was Kenya&#39;s first elected president. His mother -- &quot;the most radical member of the Morello family,&quot; he says -- was a teacher who' Kenya: Lasalle And Gituru Reach Copa Cola Quarter Finals All Africa.Com Google News - Aug 25, 2011 'Abdinoor Wario pulled one back for Taqwa at the <mark>Jomo Kenyatta</mark> playground. Mombasa booked the last berth in the quarters after a 2-1 win over Mwombo.

Yusuf Abdulhalim opened the scoring for Mombasa before Shef Ali added the second in the 80th minute' Kenya: Catholic Bishop Thanks The Government All Africa.Com Google News - Aug 24, 2011 'The Catholic bishop, current Chair, Bishops&#39; Commission for Liturgy, was speaking to CISA at Nairobi&#39;s Holy Family Minor Basilica on August 22 after he conducted a memorial Mass for the late Mzee <mark>Jomo Kenyatta</mark>, the country&#39;s first president,' Sudanese Killed In A Nakuru Clan Fight The Standard Google News - Aug 23, 2011 'The deceased who was aged 20 and a student at <mark>Jomo Kenyatta</mark> High School died on the spot after he sustained deep cuts on the head. Early this month, the assailants attacked the same home injuring four people among them the deceased, as they headed home' Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Jomo Kenyatta.

CHILDHOOD 1891 Birth However, at least one biography gives his date of birth as 20 October 1891, a date so precise as to likely be apocryphal. … Read More His father died while Kamau was very young, after which, as was the custom, he was adopted by his uncle Ngengi, who also inherited his mother, to become Kamau wa Ngengi. When his mother died during childbirth, young Kamau moved from Ng'enda to Muthiga to live with his medicine man grandfather KÅ©ngÅ© wa Magana, to whom he became very close.<br /><br /> He left home to become a resident pupil at the Church of Scotland Mission (CSM) at Thogoto, close to Kikuyu, about 12 miles north-west of Nairobi. He studied amongst other subjects: the Bible, English, mathematics and carpentry. He paid the school fees by working as a houseboy and cook for a white settler living nearby.<br /><br /> In his late teens, having completed his mission school education, he became an apprentice carpenter.

The following year he underwent initiation ceremonies, including circumcision, to become a member of the kihiu-mwiri age group. Read Less TWENTIES 1914 23 Years Old In 1914, he converted to Christianity, assuming the name John Peter, which he then changed to Johnstone Kamau. … Read More He left the mission later that year to seek employment.<br /><br /> He first worked as an apprentice carpenter on a sisal farm in Thika, under the tutelage of John Cook, who had been in charge of the building programme at Thogoto. During the First World War, Kikuyu were forced into work by the British authorities. To avoid this, he lived with Kamba relatives in Narok, where he worked as a clerk for an Asian contractor. Read Less 1920 29 Years Old In 1920 he married Grace Wahu, under Kikuyu customs. … Read More When Grace got pregnant, his church elders ordered him to get married before a European magistrate, and undertake the appropriate church rites. On 20 November 1920 Kamau's first son Peter Muigai, was born.

Kamau served as an interpreter in the Nairobi High Court, and ran a store out of his Dagoretti home during this period. Read Less THIRTIES 1922 - 1924 2 More Events 1922 31 Years Old He eventually married Grace Wahu in a civil ceremony in 1922. … Read More Grace Wahu lived in the Dagoretti home until her death in April 2007 at the age of around 100.<br /><br /> In 1922 Kamau began working, as a store clerk and water-meter reader for the Nairobi Municipal Council Public Works Department, once again under John Cook who was the Water Superintendent. Meter reading helped him meet many Kenyan-Asians at their homes who would become important allies later on. Read Less 1924 33 Years Old He entered politics after taking interest in the political activities of James Beauttah and Joseph Kang'ethe the leaders of the Kikuyu Central Association (KCA). He joined KCA in 1924 and rose up the ranks of the association. … Read More Eventually he began to edit the movement's Kikuyu newspaper.

Read Less Show Less By 1928 he had become the KCA's general secretary. In 1928 he launched a monthly Kikuyu-language newspaper called MuÄ©gwithania (Reconciler) which aimed to unite all sections of the Kikuyu. … Read More The paper, supported by an Asian-owned printing press, had a mild and unassuming tone, and was tolerated by the colonial government. He also made a presentation on Kikuyu land problems before the Hilton Young Commission in Nairobi in the same year. Read Less 1929 38 Years Old In 1929 the KCA sent Kenyatta to London to lobby on its behalf with regard to Kikuyu tribal land affairs. … Read More Using the name Johnstone Kenyatta, he published articles and letters to the editor in The Times and the Manchester Guardian. Read Less 1930 39 Years Old He returned to Kenya on 24 September 1930 and was welcomed at Mombasa by his wife Wahu and James Beauttah.

… Read More He then took part, on the side of traditionalists, in the debate on the issue of female genital mutilation of girls. He later worked for Kikuyu Independent Schools in Githunguri. Read Less FORTIES 1931 40 Years Old He returned to London in 1931 and enrolled in Woodbrooke Quaker College in Birmingham. … Read More Discouraged by the lack of official response to the land claims he was putting forward, he began an association with British Communists, who published articles he wrote in their publications. In 1932 to 1933, he briefly studied economics in Moscow at the Comintern School, KUTVU (University of the Toilers of the East) but left after the Soviet Union (worried about Hitler's growing power and seeing Britain and France as potential allies) withdrew its support for the movement against British and French colonial rule in Africa. Read Less 1934 43 Years Old In 1934, Kenyatta enrolled at University College London and from 1935 studied social anthropology under BronisÅaw Malinowski at the London School of Economics (LSE).

… Read More He was a member of the executive committee of the International African Friends of Abyssinia (formed in 1935), and was an active member of the International African Service Bureau, a pan-Africanist, anti-colonial organisation that had formed around former international communist leader George Padmore, who had also become disillusioned with the Soviet Union and himself moved to London. Kenyatta read the draft of the Kenya section of Padmore's new book, How Britain Rules Africa (1936). Read Less 1938 47 Years Old With the editorial help of an English editor named Dinah Stock who became a close friend, Kenyatta published his own book, Facing Mount Kenya (his revised LSE thesis), in 1938 under his new name, Jomo Kenyatta. … Read More The name "Jomo" is translated in English to "Burning Spear", while the name "Kenyatta" was said to be a reference to the beaded Masai belt he wore, and later to "the Light of Kenya".

After the war, he wrote a pamphlet (with some content contributed by Padmore), Kenya: The Land of Conflict, published by the International African Service Bureau under the imprint Panaf Service.<br /><br /> During this period, Kenyatta was an active member of a group of African, Caribbean and American intellectuals who included Dudley Thompson, George Padmore, C. L. R. James, Eric Williams, I. T. A. Wallace-Johnson, Chris Braithwaite, Amy Ashwood Garvey, Paul Robeson and Ralph Bunche. During his presidency, a number of streets in Nairobi were named after some of these early black-emancipation intellectuals.<br /><br /> Kenyatta acted as an extra in the film Sanders of the River (1934), directed by Zoltan Korda and starring Paul Robeson. Read Less FIFTIES 1942 - 1945 2 More Events 1942 51 Years Old In 1942, he married an Englishwoman, Edna Clarke. He also published My People of Kikuyu and the Life of Chief Wang'ombe, a history shading into legend.

Edna gave birth to their son, Peter Magana, in 1943. 1945 54 Years Old In 1945, with other prominent African nationalist figures, such as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Kenyatta helped organise the fifth Pan-African Congress, held in Britain. 1946 55 Years Old Kenyatta returned to Kenya in 1946, after almost 15 years abroad. … Read More He married for the third time, to Grace Wanjiku, Senior Chief Koinange's daughter, and sister to Mbiyu Koinange (who later became a lifelong confidant and was one of the most powerful politicians during Kenyatta's presidency).<br /><br /> Kenyatta then went into teaching, becoming principal of Kenya Teachers College Githunguri. Read Less 1947 56 Years Old In 1947, he was elected president of the Kenya African Union (KAU). … Read More He began to receive death threats from white settlers after his election.

Read Less 1948 57 Years Old From 1948 to 1951 he toured and lectured around the country condemning idleness, robbery, urging hard work while campaigning for the return of land given to white settlers and for independence within three years. … Read More His wife, Grace Wanjiku, died in childbirth in 1950 as she gave birth to daughter Jane Wambui, who survived. Read Less LATE ADULTHOOD 1951 - 1960 6 More Events 1951 60 Years Old In 1951 Kenyatta married Ngina Muhoho, daughter of Chief Muhoho. … Read More She was popularly referred to as Mama Ngina and was independent Kenya's First Lady, when Kenyatta was elected President.<br /><br /> The Mau Mau Rebellion began in 1951 and KAU was banned, and a state of emergency was declared on 20 October 1952.

Read Less 1952 61 Years Old Kenyatta was arrested in October 1952 and indicted with five others on the charges of "managing and being a member" of the Mau Mau Society, a radical anti-colonial movement engaged in rebellion against Kenya's British rulers. … Read More The accused were known as the "Kapenguria Six".<br /><br /> The trial lasted five months: Rawson Macharia, the main prosecution witness, turned out to have perjured himself; the judgeâwho had only recently been awarded an unusually large pension, and who maintained secret contact with the then colonial Governor of Kenya Evelyn Baring during the trialâwas openly hostile to the defendants' cause. Read Less 1953 62 Years Old The defence, led by British barrister D. N. Pritt, argued that the white settlers were trying to scapegoat Kenyatta and that there was no evidence tying him to the Mau Mau. The court sentenced Kenyatta on 8 April 1953 to seven years' imprisonment with hard labour and indefinite restriction thereafter.

… Read More The subsequent appeal was refused by the British Privy Council in 1954. Read Less 1959 68 Years Old Kenyatta remained in prison until 1959, after which he was detained in Lodwar, a remote part of Kenya. … Read More The state of emergency was lifted on 12 January 1960. Read Less

Question: Of which country was Jomo Kenyatta the president in the seventies
Answer: Kenya