European Occupation of Land in Central Kenya from 1900

European settlers forcibly moved into the Kenyan highlands in large numbers after the completion of the Uganda railway in 1902. The land they occupied belonged to the Kikuyu and Kamba.

The European settlers claimed that the land was not being used to its full potential. The Kikuyu and Kamba were forcibly moved to ‘Reserves’. Any Kikuyu and Kamba who remained on the land were described as squatters. Squatters were expected to work for the new European settlers. The Kikuyu and Kamba who were living on the land were then forced to work in lieu of rent. This tactic by European settlers was used in many African nations including South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Many Kikuyu and Kamba who were forced into reservations by default became a source for cheap labor for settler farmers. Natives had to work to pay government imposed taxes and working on farms run by Settlers was a way to have income. Many European settlers at the time believed that African people were lazy because they didn’t want to work for them for low wages. Instead of increasing their wages to attract workers, many European settlers compelled the colonial government to force Africans to work for them.

The settlers created a Masters and Servants Ordinance which gave European settlers power over their Kikuyu and Kamba workers. Africans would be jailed if they did not fulfill the terms of their work contract and even for being disrespectful to the European employers. Chiefs were compelled to supply a set number of workers for European settlers.

However, many Kikuyu and Kamba realized that growing coffee for themselves was much more profitable than working for abusive European settlers. The colonial government intervened to stop the Kikuyu and Kamba from growing cash crops so that it would only be profitable for European farmers.

To learn more about issues of land in Kenya, explore our article on Land issues in Laikipia