An insightful account of Kenya’s first 50 years of independence and of the problems that obstruct the road to development and justice for the country

People across Kenya joyfully welcomed independence from British colonial rule on 12 December 1963, expecting a promising future of prosperity and social justice. However as the country approaches its fiftieth anniversary of independence, the vision of the people remains elusive. Kenya has witnessed killings, protests, coup attempts, ethnic strife, and government corruption during its first five decades. The ranks have risen among the disaffected, the unemployed and the sick. Daniel Branch sheds new light on the challenges of the country and the complex reasons behind them in this authoritative and informative account of the history of Kenya from 1963 until the present day.

Branch explains how Kenya has developed itself as a state, and how race has proven from the outset to be a dominant force in national politics, as have chaos and crime. He discusses controversial political topics such as the needs of the landless people, foreign ties with Britain and the superpowers of the Cold War, and the course of economic growth. Tracing an escalation of government corruption over time, the author takes his discussion to the present, paying particular attention to the rigged 2007 election, the subsequent coalition government, and the prospects for Kenya as an autonomous, still-evolving state.