Jomo Kenyatta, born Kamau wa Ngengi around 1897 in Kiambu, is the defining figure of modern Kikuyu and Kenyan history: anthropologist, nationalist, accused insurrectionary, long-term prisoner, and ultimately the first Prime Minister and President of independent Kenya. His life spans the entire arc of colonialism and decolonisation, and his relationship with his own people was never simple.
Key Facts
- Born Kamau wa Ngengi in Gatundu, Kiambu, around 1897; baptised as "Johnstone Kamau" at a Church of Scotland mission school
- Adopted the surname "Kenyatta" from a traditional beaded belt (kinyata) he wore; later took "Jomo", sometimes translated as "burning spear"
- Joined the Kikuyu Central Association as general secretary in 1928, becoming its most effective advocate
- Sent to London in 1929 as KCA representative to lobby Parliament on Kikuyu land rights; returned to Kenya briefly, then back to London from 1931 to 1946, fifteen years in Britain
- While in London, studied anthropology under Bronislaw Malinowski at the London School of Economics; assembled his essays into Facing Mount Kenya, published 1938
- Co-organised the Fifth Pan-African Congress in Manchester in 1945 alongside Kwame Nkrumah, a crucial moment in continental anti-colonial solidarity
- Returned to Kenya in September 1946; became principal of Githunguri Teachers College and then president of the Kenya African Union (KAU) in 1947
- Arrested on 20 October 1952 at the start of the State of Emergency (see Mau Mau Uprising); tried at Kapenguria in a politically compromised trial
- Sentenced to seven years' hard labour in 1953 for allegedly managing the Kenya Land and Freedom Army; he consistently denied direct involvement in Mau Mau
- Released in 1961 after nine years in detention and restriction; led negotiations for independence
- Became Kenya's first Prime Minister on Independence 1963, 12 December 1963, and first President when Kenya became a republic in December 1964
- Died in office on 22 August 1978
The Complexity
Kenyatta is both hero and enigma. He championed Kikuyu cultural dignity in Facing Mount Kenya and land rights in the Kikuyu Central Association, yet after independence his government was accused of concentrating economic power among the Kikuyu elite and suppressing dissent. His famous call for harambee (pulling together) and forgiveness of former colonial collaborators was either magnanimous or a betrayal of Mau Mau veterans, depending on who you ask.
See Also
- Kikuyu Central Association
- Facing Mount Kenya
- Kenya Land and Freedom Army
- Mau Mau Uprising
- Kenyatta Presidency
- Independence 1963
- Harry Thuku
Related
Kiambu | Kikuyu Central Association | Facing Mount Kenya | Githunguri Teachers College | Kenya Land and Freedom Army | Mau Mau Uprising | Independence 1963 | Kenyatta Presidency