Between 1895 and 1903, the British imported approximately 32,000 indentured labourers from British India (primarily Punjab and Gujarat) to build the Uganda Railway from Mombasa to Kampala. This railway project, which required navigating disease, extreme terrain, and hostile environments, became the crucible in which the Indian East African diaspora was forged. Roughly 2,493 workers died during construction. Yet about 6,700 stayed after the rails were laid, setting the foundation for centuries of Indian commercial presence in Kenya.
Key Facts
- Construction period: 1895-1903 (peak labour recruitment 1896-1901)
- Approximately 32,000 Indian workers recruited (mostly from Punjab and Gujarat)
- Approximately 2,493 deaths during construction (roughly 357 annually)
- Causes of death: illness (malaria, dysentery, cholera), accidents, lion attacks at Tsavo
- The Tsavo lions killed an estimated 135 workers (and countless Africans), becoming immortalised in colonial legend
- Most early contracts ended in 1899; workers faced pressure to return to India or stay as settlers
- Approximately 6,700 Indians chose to remain in Kenya after the railway was complete
- The remaining workers were not offered land grants (unlike European settlers)
- They transitioned from wage labour to petty trade and merchant activities
- The Uganda Railway cost approximately £5 million (roughly £320 million in modern terms)
- The railway was strategic for reaching Uganda's cotton fields and resources, not for developing Kenya itself
The Labour System
The British recruited Indian workers under an indentured system that promised employment contracts and return passage. The "coolie" system (a derogatory term widely used by the British) was cheaper than recruiting European workers. Indian workers endured: inadequate rations, long hours, disease endemic to the region, and constant exposure to wildlife predation. The Tsavo section became notorious for lion attacks, leading to the capture and killing of the famous "Man-Eaters of Tsavo" in 1898.
Transition to Settlement
When construction ended, the British faced a labour supply problem. Many workers had completed their contracts and wished to return to India. The Colonial Office, recognising that the railway required ongoing maintenance and that merchant services would develop along the line, encouraged Indian workers to remain as settlers. Most could not afford passage home. They became, by circumstance more than choice, Kenya's first commercial class.
Without access to agricultural land (reserved for Europeans and, nominally, for African cultivation), Indian workers turned to retail trade. They established small shops along the railway line, serving both European travellers and African communities. This niche became permanent.