White People in Kenya - British East Africa

British East Africa

Having acquired Kenya and Uganda, the British sought to develop infrastructure and link the coast to Lake Victoria. The Uganda Railway serves as a lasting legacy of this ambition. The railway opened up much of the Kenyan interior to European settlement, and in 1899 British pioneers established Nairobi as a settler outpost. The period saw an influx of European settlers and farmers seeking to make a fortune, most notably the British peer Lord Delamere.

Life for Europeans in Kenya during this time would later be immortalised in Karen Blixen's novel Out of Africa. Kenya at the time was sparsely populated, and the few European colonists acquired vast plantation estates covering thousands of acres. The presence of herds of elephants and zebra, and other wild animals on these estates drew wealthy aristocracy from Europe and America, who came attracted by big game hunting.

During the 1920s, European settlement increasingly began to marginalise many of the local tribes. The 1920s saw the rise of African Nationalism, with leaders such as Jomo Kenyatta highlighting the unjust political and social situation for the vast majority of Kenyans. Following World War II, the unrest led to a violent uprising led by Kikuyu known as the 'Mau Mau' rebellion. The deaths of European settlers, led to an intense campaign by the British government to capture the rebels, and resulted in thousands of accused being held in notorious prison camps.