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East Africa Protectorate

British-East African history

Quick Summary

The East Africa Protectorate was a British territory established in 1895, encompassing much of present-day Kenya. Its administration was initially handled by the Imperial British East Africa Company, which faced financial difficulties, leading to the British government taking direct control.12

The protectorate faced resistance from local groups like the Kikuyu and Kamba, and later the Nandi, who did not readily accept British authority. The Maasai, however, offered no resistance due to devastation from disease. British administration was extended gradually, often through direct rule, due to a lack of centralized African political systems and limited infrastructure.3

In 1920, the East Africa Protectorate became the Kenya Colony and Protectorate. This region, along with Uganda and Zanzibar, formed British East Africa, with Tanganyika later added after World War I as a League of Nations mandate. All these territories gained independence in the 1960s.1

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