Kenya by Charles Hornsby

Kenya

A History Since Independence

Charles Hornsby

Bloomsbury Academic · Print & ebook · March 7, 2024

Since independence from Great Britain in 1963, Kenya has survived five decades as a functioning nation-state, holding regular elections; its borders and political system intact and avoiding open war with its neighbours and military rule internally.

Buy on Amazon

We earn from qualifying purchases.

Who it’s for
A history of Kenya since independence, tracing the conflicts and choices that shaped its political path.
Genres
East African History, African Politics, Colonialism & Its Aftermath
Published
Bloomsbury Academic, March 7, 2024

About this book

Since independence from Great Britain in 1963, Kenya has survived five decades as a functioning nation-state, holding regular elections; its borders and political system intact and avoiding open war with its neighbours and military rule internally. It has been a favoured site for Western aid, trade, investment and tourism and has remained a close security partner for Western governments.

Continue reading

However, Kenya's successive governments have failed to achieve adequate living conditions for most of its citizens; violence, corruption and tribalism have been ever-present, and its politics have failed to transcend its history. The decisions of the early years of independence and the acts of its leaders in the decades since have changed the country's path in unpredictable ways, but key themes of conflicts remain: over land, money, power, economic policy, national autonomy and the distribution of resources between classes and communities.While the country's political institutions have remained stable, the nation has changed, its population increasing nearly five-fold in five decades. But the economic and political elite's struggle for state resources and the exploitation of ethnicity for political purposes still threaten the country's existence. Today, Kenyans are arguing over many of the issues that divided them 50 years ago. The new constitution promulgated in 2010 provides an opportunity for national renewal, but it must confront a heavy legacy of history. This book reveals that history.

Kenya Since Independence

A history of Kenya since independence, tracing the conflicts and choices that shaped its political path.

Come here for

  • Conflicts over land, power, money, and resource distribution
  • The political choices made since independence

Expect

  • Attention to politics, economic policy, and national autonomy
  • The 2010 constitution set against a heavy historical legacy

Where it sits

East African History95%
African Politics61%
Colonialism & Its Aftermath47%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • History
  • Politics & Government
Authors
Charles Hornsby
Publisher
Bloomsbury Academic
Published
March 7, 2024
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
History