African History

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Kenya Timeline -- Part 1: Prehistory to Independence

A Chronology of Key Events in Kenya

c.4.4 mya	Australopithecus ramidus evolves in Eastern Africa.
c.3 mya	Australopithecus afarensis evolves in Eastern Africa.
c.2 mya	Homo habilis evolves in Eastern Africa.
500 BCE	Start of Bantu migration into Eastern Africa.
c.300 to 750	Cattle domestication, which has spread down from the north, is first seen around Lake Victoria and slowly disseminates towards the coast.
c.600	Arabs start to settle along coastal strip.
c.1000	Islam is introduced to the region by Arab merchants, more trading posts are set up along coast.
c.1200	Swahili culture and language becomes dominant near the coast, from a mixture of Arab traders, Africans, and even Persians and Indians. Inland is still dominated by Bantu and Nilotic speakers, as well as southwards migrating Cushite speakers from the north.
c.1470	Mombassa becoming a dominant port on coast.
1498	Vasco da Gama arrives at the city of Mombassa. He has traveled around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.
1502 to 1509	Portuguese briefly take control of the Swahili ports on the coast. Swahili states force them out.
1630s	Omani Arab traders start to settle along coast.
1698	Omanis, from the Arabian peninsular, now have control of the whole coastline.

1822	Much of East African coast in now ruled by Sultan of Oman.
1840	Omanis capital is moved from Muscat to Zanzibar.
1840s to 1880s	Arab/Swahili slave trade is at its height in East Africa. By the peak of the trade up to 70,000 Africans from the mainland were sold at the Zanzibar slave market each year.
1861	Zanzibar takes control of the mainland coast.
1888	Imperial British East Africa Company is created.
1890	Southern border of the Imperial British East Africa Company's territory is fixed in a treaty with Germany.
1895	Imperial British East African Company is dismantled and replaced by the British East African Protectorate.
Early 1900s	White settlers start to arrive, especially in the highlands to the east of Lake Victoria.
1900 to 1905	Nandi resistance to colonial rule.
1901	Railroad from Mombassa to Lake Victoria, via Nairobi, is completed by the British, enabling easier access to the highlands for white settlers.
1901 to 1906	Kikuyu resistance to colonial rule.
1904 to 1905	Embu resistance to colonial rule.
1905	Gusii resistance to colonial rule.
1920	Inland Kenya becomes a British Crown Colony, under the rule of a British governor, the coast is a protectorate, with nominal rule form the Sultan of Zanzibar.
	Kikuyu Central Association formed with the aim of furthering Kikuyu interests in the Crown Colony.
1944	Formation of the Kenyan African Union, KAU, predominantly Kikuyu in membership.
	First African appointed to the legislative council.
1947	Jomo Kenyatta becomes leader of the KAU.
1952 to 1956	Mau Mau Rebellion. (See separate Timeline.)
1952	State of Emergency declared.
	Kenyatta arrested.
1953	KAU banned.
	(5 April) Kenyatta jailed (until 1961), convicted of being a leader of the Mau Mau.
1956	Mau Mau Rebellion is mostly suppressed by the British.
1957	The colonial legislature has its first elected African members.
1959	Kenyatta released to house arrest.
	(10 November) State of Emergency is lifted following suppression of the Mau Mau Rebellion.
	Britain announces plan to give Kenya majority African rule.
1961	Kenya Africa National Union, KANU, formed by Tom Mboya and Oginga Odinga.
	KANU, wins election to new parliament, but whilst Kenyatta is still in jail it refuses to take up the role. The Kenya African Democratic Union, KANU, takes power instead.
	(21 August) Kenyatta released, takes up presidency of KANU.
1963	(12 December) Independence, Kenyatta as prime minister.