The African Elite
Kenya was colonised for 78 years. Initially, colonisation was done through a private company, but when the company faltered — failing even to complete the construction of the road from Mombasa to Kisumu, let alone the railway — the British government stepped in. The East African Protectorate was established for a duration of 25 years, which then paved way for the birth of the Colony of Kenya, formally recognized as a distinct entity on July 23rd, 1920.
Previously autonomous communities, characterized by different leadership structures and economic systems, were suddenly linked together by the common experience of subjugation and economic exploitation.
Over the course of 78 years, there were significant changes, one of which was the emergence of a new African elite. In contrast to prior top hierarchies, dominated by councils of elders, chiefs, and kings confined largely to their own communities, this emerging elite class was equipped with some Western education, comprised of individuals from different tribes although predominantly urbanized, and held positions within the formal colonial economy.
They perceived themselves as equal to the ‘white man’. However, because they did not hold any traditional positions in their communities, they lacked legitimacy in a customary sense. This greatly influenced the nationalist movements led by this class. They were “anticolonial” because they strongly opposed being ruled by foreigners. However, they were not “decolonial” because they didn’t truly aim to dismantle the new colonial structures.
This fundamentally set the stage for post colonial Kenya and Africa in general.
These systems of governance continued post independence. Even the colonial police — who once enforced white-man rule — continued as the police force, to prop up the new state. It is not surprising that during the early post-colonial period, African governments, grappling with various challenges, would comfortably seek help from their former colonial powers. For example, in 1965, Jomo Kenyatta requested the British army to return and standby in case of an insurgency, famously known as Operation Binnacle.
Our economic structures persisted too. Across almost every African nation, the cultivation of the same cash crops and the extraction of the same minerals set up under colonialism has continued to the present day.
Not much truly changed. The driver was different, but the vehicle and its destination remained the same.
In fact, this was openly acknowledged in many independence day speeches. Take, for instance, the inaugural president of Gabon, Leon M’ba. Educated and having served as a customs officer within the French colonial administration, M’ba conveyed in his speech “between Gabon and France, nothing changes. Everything goes on as usual”
The new African elite had arrived.
