East Africa Protectorate
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
now KENYA COLONY, British possessessions in East Africa, extending about 400 miles along the coast N. from Umba, at the mouth of the Umba river. The S. boundary runs from Umba in a N. W. direction to the intersection of the Victoria Nyanza while the 1st parallel of N. lat., skirts the N. shore of the lake, and thence W. to the boundary of the Kongo Free State. The river Juba begins the N. boundary, which from the intersection of the river with the 6th parallel N. lat. runs to the 35th meridian E. lon., and follows that to its intersection with the Blue Nile; the Kongo Free State and the of the Upper W. water shed of the basin Nile forming the W. boundary. The total area is 246,822 square miles, embracing a great part of Somaliland, the Equatorial province, Uganda, Usoga, Unyoro, etc. The population is estimated at 2,807,000, of which 5,362 are Europeans. The Imperial British East Africa Company opened up the country, having in 1888 obtained a concession of territory from the Sultan of Zanzibar and a charter from the British Government. An arrangement for buying them out was, however, made in 1895. The chief ports are Mombassa, the capital (pop. 30,000), Lamu, Umba, and Kismayu. In the Legisla- 1905 it was ordained that tive Council should consist of 11 elected : representatives of European countries 3 nominated, 2 natives and 1 Arab. In 1920 British East Africa was annexed to the British Crown under the name of Kenya Colony. EAST ANGLIA. See ANGLIA, EAST.
What Has Changed in the Last Century
Collier's caught the change of name just in time "annexed to the British Crown under the name of Kenya Colony" in 1920, but its geography was already stale: Uganda had been a separate protectorate since 1894, Nairobi had replaced Mombasa as the seat of government in 1907, and the Congo Free State had become the Belgian Congo in 1908. Colonial rule ended with the Mau Mau emergency of the 1950s and independence on 12 December 1963 under Jomo Kenyatta, with a republic declared a year later. The Legislative Council of 1905, with its "2 natives and 1 Arab" among mostly European members, gave way to universal suffrage; the 5,362 Europeans of 1921 are long gone as a ruling class. Population has grown from the estimated 2,807,000 to well over 50 million, and Nairobi alone now dwarfs the whole colony's tally of city dwellers.
Written for this edition, 2026.