TURNING POINT IN KENYA

...Today there is realization of the need for more African education, more health services, better communications, and improved roads to help develop markets and African trade...

...Kenya's constitutional development shows clearly the trend to be found in colonies with a settled European community...

...For Kenya this is an extensive agrarian revolution, but one that brings new social problems in its wake...

...In 1954, the British government proposed a new constitution that would give Kenya a Council of Ministers, a move that implied a measure of local responsibility...

...This poses the critical question that is rarely faced, namely that Kenya is primarily an African country...

...The Africans were put in reserves consisting of some 52,000 square miles...

...However, one would be blind if he were to believe that the defeat of the Mau Mau has meant the destruction of the African's political aspirations and his determination to free himself from colonialism and its evils, including European settler domination...

...But many if not all of the small changes that the European settlers may cite have taken place in the last four or five years during and as a result of the state of emergency proclaimed in the face of the Mau Mau uprising...

...On the contrary the African is today more politically conscious, more determined and more aware of his capacity than ever before...

...Asians and Africans combined—on the other...

...A few speeches by European leaders help to show clearly what the situation is and how far their feigned liberalism extends...

...Despite numerous warnings by African leaders the government has refused to recognize these problems, especially the need to provide for those who will be rendered landless in a country where land is for many people the only means of livelihood and old age security...

...Entry to economic competition with other races was, and to some extent is, still made difficult by the existence of discriminatory practices, conditions, and legislation regarding loans, licenses, and the like...

...The greater part of this land is poor despite the fact that the African is almost entirely dependent on peasant agriculture for his livelihood, and on land for his old age security...

...In fact, Kenya faces a much more resolute African opinion today than at |Py time in more than fifty years of European control...

...There is no doubt, however, that the majority of Africans do not advocate the eviction and expropriation of European settlers...

...they know that once their age-old parity with the non-European representation is broken, they will no longer be in a position to control the government and maintain their privileged position...

...Today the political situation is fluid...

...He may have more than one vote up to a maximum of three if he has more than one of these qualifications...

...While the direction remains undetermined, the political situation grows tense, and the future more and more uncertain...

...The African people know that violence, apart from being so destructive and self-defeating a weapon, has failed and would fail again because they are not in a position to counter British military power effectively...

...The state of emergency provided the Europeans with both the excuse and opportunity they needed to entrench their position and further their concept of European control...

...The Europeans fear such a development because the numerically greater Africans would swamp the other races...

...During the emergency all African political associations were banned, and even today restrictions exist which forbid the formation of country-wide African political organizations and which also restrict the size of public meetings and the type of speeches that may be delivered...

...For many years no African was allowed to engage in the growing of export cash crops, such as coffee, tea, etc...

...In most colonial territories exploitation is usually practiced by the colonial power...

...At present, the principle of representation is based on parity as between the white settler representatives on the one hand and the non-Europeans TOM MBOYA, the leading African political figure in Kenya, is general secretary of the Kenya Federation of Labor and a member of the newly elected Legislative Council...

...Above all, it is argued, the main reason for this segregation is to insure that certain civilized standards are maintained and not lowered to accommodate the African...

...An African Reports on the Turning Point in Kenya by TOM MBOYA Nairobi, Kenya PR many people the name Kenya remains synonymous with Mau Mau, because it is in this connection that the greater part of the world first heard of my country...

...In industry wages and conditions of employment were until 1955 based on race and color...

...They argue that they merely act in the interests of the country and that they seek to develop it until the Africans are sufficiently educated and civilized to participate in the government and life of the country...

...The Europeans and Asians elect their representatives on a universal adult suffrage franchise, while the African franchise, which came into being for the first time this year, is qualitative and consists of multiple votes...

...Beyond this the Europeans would consider it a surrender of power and indeed abdication of what they call leadership...

...This fancy franchise was designed to guard against what the European settlers called "irresponsible, demagogic African politicians...

...The Council of Ministers thus consisted of eight official (colonial civil servants) ministers and six mii$ isters from among the local politi-: cians, distributed in the ratio of 3: 3: 1, Europeans, Asians, and Africans: respectively...

...The Europeans are silent...

...This system is supported by the British government and the white settlers with the ancient argument that the Europeans are the best fitted, experienced, and educated to govern...

...The Africans were represented by persons nominated by the governor, and, moreover, they were completely denied political expression...

...In March, 1956, Michael Blundell, leader of the settler representatives, said that "the time would come when the Africans must be told, 'So far and no further.' European leaders of all shades of political opinion are united in their demand for the retention of the sanctity of the White Highlands, segregated schools and hospitals, and European control of the government...

...There is "communal" representation in the legislature...

...It was not until 1944 that the first African entered the Legislature—appointed by the British Governor to represent African interests...

...This means that an African may be granted the vote if in addition to being 21 he has certain minimum wealth, education, service, and/or employment qualifications...

...The four and one half years following the declaration of a State of Emergency in October 1952, have been years of hardship, waste, and destruction...

...but equally it helped open the eyes of the government and Europeans to certain realities they hadn't recognized before...

...To a casual observer the claim that the Europeans are improving the lot of Africans might appear convincing...

...Communal representation in the gov...

...Thus, it is clear enough the emergency has shaken the Europeans into some state of realism...

...But by far the most serious problem is that of race...

...Immediately after being returned in March this year, in the first Kenya African elections, the African elected members declared they would not recognize the Lyttelton constitution...

...The East African Royal Commission, appointed in 1953 to investigate the use of land and economic development, revealed that the degree of overcrowding on the African reserves has reached approximately 800 people per square mile, while many Europeans in the White Highlands— the European area—still hold thousands of acres per person...

...In areas such as Kenya the exploitation is two-fold because the local white settler population also dominates the native Africans so as to further their own (white) interests...

...This constitution—popularly known as the Lyt-telton constitution—introduced the principle of multi-racialism, in that the three racial groups would participate in the government of the country...

...The Kenya Legislative Council is the highest political and constitutional body in the land, apart from the Governor and his Council of Ministers...

...The present composition of the Legislature is fourteen elected and two Corporate European members, eight African members, six Asian members, and one Arab member, representing populations of approximately 50,000 Europeans, six million Africans, 250,000 Asians, and 25,000 Arabs respectively...

...Today the situation is easing rapidly towards peace...

...This, they still say, will take time...

...Until March, 1957 only the Europeans and Asians elected their representatives to the Legislature...

...To the Africans the negotiations that took place at that time were a farce...

...They also immediately demanded an increase in African representation in the Legislature by another fifteen members in order to secure fair, adequate, and effective representation...

...There is no gainsaying the fact that the emergency had its evils, waste, and destruction...

...In the economic field this political power has been used more and more to the advantage of the settlers...

...The European position of dominance in the Legislature has been used to introduce measures that can only be interpreted as intended to protect their vested interests...

...Land was demarcated in racial boundaries with 13,000 square miles of the best land in the country set aside exclusively for settlement by Europeans...

...The Mau Mau terrorists are defeated, and the shooting War is virtually at an end...

...This means that any immigrant person who wishes to stay permanently has to accept a government and society with a predominance of Africans...

...The African demands that the ultimate objective shall be democracy based on the basic equality of man and on universal adult suffrage...

...A scheme of agricultural development, known as the Sywnnerton Plan, has been established under which land consolidation is being carried out and money is being made available to help some African farmers...

...They include the presence of masses at illiterate and ignorant people, dis-and low standards of hygiene fue the greater part of the population, and low wages for the Africans, averaging $15 a month...

...It was not anti-African, but intended to help the African to higher standards of living, after which he might be accepted socially...

...But those who know Kenya well know that the military victory over the Mau Mau has not won for the country the peace and stability it needs so urgently...

...These practices, it was argued, were not racial but social discrimination...

...Another immigrant group, the Asians, were the second to be accorded representation...

...Whatever happens, it is now definite that Kenya has reached a turning point and a decision must be made soon if political stability and permanent peace are to be achieved...

...ernment is not only untenable in the long run, but would be dangerous to the Europeans since it would help entrench racial feelings and attitudes with the possible danger of encouraging Africans to think in terms of creating a black racialist state...

...Kenya's problems are complex...

...With the help of the British government, the white settlers established a strictly racial society—segregated schools, hospitals, and even residential areas in towns and cities...

...that is, each race is given a specified quota...

...As early as 1919 the small settler group was granted a direct voice in the Legislature...

...But it is important to point out at the same time that this realism is limited to the extent of a begrudging feeling that there is need for concessions and some gestures of generosity...