A SOCIO-ECONOMIC STUDY OF THE KENYA HIGHLANDS FROM 1900 TO 1970: A CASE STUDY OF THE UHURU GOVERNMENT.

Abstract

The Kenya. Highlands was the subject of a most bitter, struggle throughout the colonial era. The Kenya Africans who fought in the war of liberation (Mau Mau), had only one primary purpose; the return of all the lands grabbed from them by the European settler sand the colonial -authorities. The Mau Mau ideology was that the Europeans must relinquish all the Highlands which would then be evenly distributed to the landless Africans. This study examines the position of the Highlands, at present in light of the above, now that Kenya is independent. The essential procedure adopted for this study was to examine and analyze (Government printed) documentary evidences collected from the Government Archives-in Kenya, and from Library resources. Documents from the British Colonial Office (now Commonwealth Office) were also examined. Other written literature from secondary sources on the Kenya Highlands were examined and analyzed. The evidence arising from the Documents and other literature were critically examined so as to delineate the following factors which formed-the basis of the analysis that was made in this study:(a) Qualifications for land grant, (b)Limitation on land area allocated, (c)Limitation on land use, and(d)Land ownership and use.