The Meaning of Name Kenya – Origin and History

Kenya is named after its highest peak, Mount Kenya. The Kikuyu community was among the first people to settle around this mountain. They established a strong belief that God (Ngai)  lived there after coming down from the sky. They even built their houses with doors facing the mountain.

Since the peaks of Mt. Kenya were covered in ice, the Kikuyus named it Kirinyaga which figuratively means ‘the ostrich with white patches’. The Akambas who also lived on the slopes of the mountain translated it to ki nyaa. This is the name they gave Ludwig Krapf when he sighted the mountain from Kitui.

So, the name Kenya means mountain of whiteness. It is a popular gender-neutral name on The Bump. This African-rooted name depicts the continent’s breathtaking mountain views, sprawling savannahs, and glistening coastlines. With this in mind, Kenya is the top destination in Africa.

A little more about Kenya

The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa with a population of about 54 million. Nairobi is Kenya’s capital and largest city. It is a vibrant metropolis with a rich blend of cultural, historical, and natural attractions. The town started in the late 1890s as a colonial rail depot and settlement.

The first people to settle in Kenya were indigenous communities who migrated from various parts of Africa. Other visitors include traders, missionaries, and explorers from multiple corners of the world such as India, Portugal, Greece, the Roman Empire, and Arabia.

While some visitors went back to their countries, some remained and intermarried with local communities. This resulted in the birth of Islam and Swahili culture along the Kenyan coast. Trading, fishing, and farming were the main economic activities and sources of livelihood.

The traders from overseas came with clothes, beads, iron weapons, porcelain wines, and handicrafts. These were exchanged for gold, copper, ivory, timber, animal skins, and slaves. These increased socio-economic activities led to the rise of coastal city estates such as Mombasa, Lamu, and Malindi.

Kenya as the East Africa Protectorate

The Berlin Conference, held in 1884, marked the climax of the scramble for Africa. European powers sought to end conflict over the acquisition of the African continent and decided to partition the territory among themselves. This was a strategy for obtaining natural resources for their growing industrial sectors and securing a market for their factory-produced goods.

The present-day Kenya became one of the British acquisitions. Named the East Africa Protectorate, the region was valued as a strategic corridor to the fertile land around the African Great Lakes. However, this did not stop the Britains from pursuing other interests in Africa.

Since the British Government felt overwhelmed, they sought to assign the administration of their newly acquired region to a commercial company named Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC). In 1888, the company started overseeing agriculture and the export of natural resources.

Beyond governing, the company was to facilitate the construction of a railway connecting the east coast region of Mombasa to Lake Victoria. However, this failed due to lack of funds and conflict among the company’s rival factions. It was clear that IBEAC could not continue its operations in the territory.

Kenya under the colonial rule

In 1894, the British Government inevitably dissolved the IBEAC and took over the administration of the colony. The first Governor, Sir Arthur Hardinge, was posted to establish a formal British administration. The British authorities imposed punitive economic, social, and political policies to subdue the colony.

Huge fertile land was forcibly obtained and reserved for the British settlers. Taxes were introduced and natives became the subjects of the colonizers. They worked continuously for low wages on the settler farms. The most outstanding among these policies was racial discrimination.

As more European settlers trickled in, it became concerning how they would maintain the supply of African labor. The British settlers wanted the government to institute policies that would compel Africans to offer their services but this was met with resistance and public outcry.

Resistance to colonization

As more native Kenyans became learned, they began to ape the colonizer’s political way of life. They attempt to push for more direct representation in the government. At the outset, political movements formed. The Young Kikuyu Association was the first one to emerge in 1921 with Harry Thuku as its first president.

After the First World War, the colonial government began to concern itself more with the plight of African people. In 1923 the colonial secretary issued a White Paper in which he stated that African interests in the colony had to be paramount. Formal education for Africans was one of the key areas to address.

In the meantime, the Young Kikuyu Association movement received massive support from locals, particularly young Kikuyu men. It strongly spearheaded the African grievances regarding low wages, the prohibition of growing coffee, and the suppression of some traditional practices such as female genital mutilation.

During the 1950s the Kikuyus also formed Mau Mau, a rebellion group that fought against British domination in Kenya. The movement launched guerrilla warfare and brutal attacks on British colonial authorities and European settlers. However, 4-year British military operations weakened the movement.

The birth of the Republic of Kenya

With various attempts by Kenyans to attain freedom, the colonial government finally gave in to the pressure. For the first time, Africans were appointed by the governor to the Legislative Council. This did not stop Kenyans from pushing for more representation and fair treatment.

The new organization, the Kikuyu Central Association emerged after the colonial government banned the earlier Young Kikuyu Association founded by Harry Thuku. Jomo Kenyatta, the secretary general of the KCA advocated a peaceful transition to African majority rule.

Kenyatta traveled widely in Europe for political consultations and returned in 1946 to become the leader of the Kenya African Union. The movement attempted to gain a mass African following. KAU was banned in 1952 and its leaders were imprisoned for directing the Mau Mau Uprising.

The independent Kenya

The ban on national political movements was lifted in 1960. The Kenya African National Union (KANU) was formed in May of the same year with Tom Mboya as its first secretary general, James Gichuru as chairman, and Oginga Odinga as vice chairman. Kenyatta was elected its president in absentia.

In June, two of KANU’s founding members, Ronald Ngala and Daniel Arap Moi, created their organization, the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU). In February 1961, Kenya held its first election and KANU won majority seats. By this time Jomo Kenyatta was serving his 6-year jail sentence. 

However, the party announced it would not take part in any government activities until their leader was freed. Jome Kenyatta pledged support and protection of settlers’ rights in an independent Kenya. On 14th, August 1961, he was released from detention.

With the implementation of a new colonial constitution, KANU contested and won a majority of the votes and seats in the May 1963 general election. Kenya became independent on December 12, 1963. Jomo Kenyatta, head of the KANU, became Kenya’s first prime minister.

Final Thought

Kenya is named after a mountain of the same name. Kenya means the mountain of whiteness. The name symbolizes beauty, purity, and breathtaking landscapes. Visiting Kenya will surprise and delight with everything from world-class cities to fascinating culture, diverse wildlife, fauna, and flora.