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PROFILE OF JOMO KENYATTA
Jomo
Kenyatta the first president of Kenya, was born around 1890 at Ngenda, Gatundu,
in present day Thika District of Central Province. When he was about 10
years old, Kenyatta learnt English, Arithmetic, Bible instruction and Carpentry
for five years at the Church of Scotland Mission, Kikuyu.
Kenyatta, who was then known as Kamau, was baptized Johnstone, a name he later replaced with Jomo in 1938.
In 1915, Kenyatta worked in Nairobi with the Public Works Department as a Clerk and later as a Water Supplies Inspector. He married Grace Wahu in 1919 with whom he had two children, Peter and Margaret.
Kenyatta’s political career began in 1922 when he became the Secretary of the Kikuyu Central Association (KCA) and the Editor of KCA newspaper, Muigwithania (the conciliator). The KCA sent him to London in 1929 to present their grievances to the Colonial Secretary, where he made contacts with reknown Pan-Africanists such as George Padmore, Paul Robeson and Nigeria Ladipo Solanke.
While in Europe in 1931 – 1946, Kenyatta attended the Quaker College in Birmingham (1931), Marxist institution in Moscow (1932) and London School of Economics (1936) where he studied Anthropology. He wrote the book, Facing Mount Kenya.
He became the President of the Pan-Africa Federation and participated in the Federation’s 1945 Congress. He also served as the honorary Secretary to the International Africa Friends of Abyssinia Society.
Kenyatta returned to Kenya in 1946 and James Gichuru stepped down as the Kenya African Union (KAU) President in his favour. Kenyatta who was then the Principal of The Kikuyu Independent Teachers Training College in Githunguri was seen by his people as their saviour from the autocratic colonial rule and for this reason many European settlers branded him a Mau Mau. The Colonial Governor Sir Evelyn Baring, declared a state of emergency in Kenya in October 1952 and arrested 183 people including Kenyatta.
Kenyatta was then jailed for seven years after the infamous Kapeguria Trial for allegedly managing Mau Mau activities. After serving the jail term in Lokitaung, he was transferred to Lodwar and then Maralal for further confinement.
He was released on August 21, 1961 following a sustained public outcry, and for the second time, James Gichuru stepped down for him as president of KAU’s successor, the Kenya African National Union (KANU).
On April 10, 1962 Mzee Kenyatta was sworn in as Minister of State for Constitutional Affairs and Economic Development. In June 1963, he was sworn in as the country’s first Prime Minister when Kenya attained self-government. KANU subsequently won the December 1963 General Elections with Kenyatta as the first President when the country became a Republic in 1964.
In his administration (1963 – 1978), Kenyatta formed a unitary government, with Kenya becoming a de facto one-party state after the federalist (KADU) joined KANU in December 1964.
Though Sir Patrick Renison had described Kenyatta as a “Leader unto darkness and death,” the late President rose to become one of Africa’s distinguished statesmen.
And, though he never founded a political party, he consolidated the affairs of KANU , the nation and fostered development co-operation.
As a widely acclaimed nationalist and Pan-Africanist, Kenyatta managed political challenges in the country and the African continent astutely.
He died on August 22, 1978 and was buried in a specially built mausoleum near the parliament buildings in Nairobi in a colourful ceremony on August 31, 1978.
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