Kenya Timeline -- Part 2: Independence to Present Day
A Chronology of Key Events in Kenya
By Alistair Boddy-Evans, About.com
Back to Kenya Timeline Part 1: Prehistory to Independence
| 1963 | (12 December) Independence, Kenyatta as prime minister. |
| 1964 | Republic proclaimed, Kenyatta as president, Odinga as vice president. |
| (10 November) KADU merges with KANU to create a one-party state. | |
| 1966 | Odinga leaves KANU after ideological split with Kenyatta. Odinga is a Luo, Kenyatta a Kikuyu. Odinga forms a rival party, the Kenya People's Union, KPU. |
| 1967 | Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania form the East African Community. |
| 1969 | Tom Joseph Mboya assassinated. |
| Odinga arrested as KANU cracks down on opposition, especially the KPU. | |
| Kenya People's Union is banned, only KANU is allowed to contest general elections. | |
| 1974 | Kenyatta reelected. |
| 1977 | East Africa Community collapses. |
| 1978 | (22 August) President Jomo Kenyatta dies in office, succeeded by Daniel arap Moi. |
| 1982 | New constitution declared by National Assembly in June makes KANU the only legal party in Kenya. |
| Army puts down a coup attempt by the air force. The country is apparently ruled by Private Hezekiah Ochuka for six hours. | |
| 1987 | Government arranges for the release of political prisoners. |
| 1990 | Government is implicated in the suspicious deaths of Anglican Bishop of Eldoret, Alexander Muge, and foreign minister Robert Ouko, people are outraged. |
| Odinga and other members of FORD are banned by government. | |
| 1991 | Multi-party politics is reintroduced under pressure from international aid agencies. |
| Forum for the Restoration of Democracy, FORD, is formed by leading opposition leaders including Oginga Odinga. | |
| FORD leaders are arrested, FORD is outlawed, government attempts to stem pro-democracy protests. | |
| International Aid is suspended to Kenya. | |
| 1991 | KANU agrees to reintroduce multiparty political system at specially convened conference. |
| 1992 | Ethnic violence erupts in west of Kenya, approximately 2,000 people are killed. |
| (August) FORD splits, becoming FORD-Kenya led by Odinga and FORD Asili led by ex-government minister Kenneth Matiba. | |
| Moi wins election for president as KANU representative, KANU wins parliamentary election with strong majority, both under a new constitution, and amid allegations of vote fraud. | |
| 1994 | (20 January) Jaramogi Oginga Odinga dies. |
| Opposition parties form coalition, the United National Democratic Alliance, UNDA, but there is internal squabbling. | |
| 1995 | Palaeontologist Richard Leakey forms new opposition party Safina Party. Government refuses to register the party until November 1997. |
| 1997 | Demonstrations for democratic reform across Kenya. World Bank withholds $5bn or structural adjustment credit. |
| (December) Moi wins another term in office with 40% of the vote, elections are internationally criticized. His opposition is led by Raila Odinga (son of Oginga Odinga) and ex vice-president Mwai Kibaki. | |
| 1998 | (August) US embassy in Nairobi is hit by a car bomb, 224 people are killed, thousands injured. |
| Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania form a new East African Community. | |
| 1999 | Richard Leakey is appointed to head anti corruption drive. |
| 2001 | (April) Richard Leakey is in court facing charges of perverting the course of justice and abusing power. |
| Corruption bill is defeated by parliament. | |
| Ethnic tensions once more erupt in several violent conflicts. | |
| (December) Riots over rents in Nairobi's slum district involving Nubian and Luo communities cause thousands to flee city. Several people are killed. | |
| 2002 | (July) 200 representatives of Maasai and Samburu people accept $7m of compensation from British Ministry of Defense after ammunitions and explosives left behind for 50 years caused deaths and injuries. |
| (November) Mombassa is hit by a terrorist attack (against an Israeli owned hotel) -- car bomb kills 13 people, al-Qaeda claims responsibility. | |
| (December) Moi's 24-year rule ends when opposion leader Mwai Kibaki wins presidency in landslide election (against KANU rival Uhuru Kenyatta). | |
| 2003 | (January) Anti-corruption bill put forward by government, John Githongo, an open critic of Daniel arap Moi, is appointed as anti-graft czar. |
| (November) Kenya's new anti-corruption drive allows International Monetary Fund, IMF, to resume lending after a three year hiatus. | |
| (December) Daniel arap Moi is given immunity from prosecution on charges of corruption. | |
| 2004 | (March)A new constitution is drafted, but the government vacillates so long the deadline for enacting it is missed (July). The new constitution would have created a post of prime minister and curbed the president's powers. |
| President Kibaki calls the food crisis caused by drought and crop failures a 'national disaster'. | |
| (October) Wangari Maathai, Kenyan ecologist, wins Nobel Peace Prize. | |
| 2005 | Graft czar John Githongo resigns amid claims that corruption has cost the country over $1bn under President Kibaki. |
| Parliament again approved a new constitution, but opposition claims it will give the president too much power. | |
| (November) Voters reject new constitution, impartial protest against President Kibaki. | |
| 2006 | (April) As part of China's ever expanding empire in Africa, Chinese President Hu Jintao signs a contract for oil prospecting off the Kenyan coast. |
| (October) Somali refugees in the north-east are cut off by flooding. Supplies are air-dropped in. | |
| 2007 | President Kibaki claims victory in presidential elections, gaining a second term in office. Opposition parties and international agencies suggest election was un-safe. Orange Democratic Movement, ODM wins majority in parliamentary election. |
| 2008 | Talks between president Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga are brokered by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. A power-sharing deal is signed. |
| (April) Kenya's largest governmental cabinet, at 40 seats, is agreed by President Kibaki and Mr Odinga. | |
| Post-election violence erupts throughout Kenya -- there are calls for an international tribunal to try those implicated in the conflict. |
More on the History of Kenya
• Brief History of Kenya
• Kenya Timeline Part 1: Prehistory to Independence
Kenyan Leaders
• Kenyan
Leaders Since Independence
• Thomas
Joseph Mboya
Mau Mau Rebellion
• Timeline:
Mau Mau Rebellion
