KENYA. - I. GEOGRAPHY. - British colony and protectorate in East Africa, S. of Ethiopia. The territory (583,000 sq. km., of which 5,645 are protectorate along the coast between the mouth of the Umba and Lamu) consists of highlands ranging from 1,200 to 2,000 m., extending from the low, hot alluvial belt on the Indian Ocean to the western border (Uganda), interrupted by the tectonic trough in which the lakes lie (Rodolfo, Vittoria).
The climate is almost everywhere healthy, even for Europeans. Savannah and steppe predominate widely, but the best lands are in the S. and W., where economic development has been more rapid. The population (5.2 million inhabitants in 1948; 9 per sq. km.) is highly varied racially: alongside the indigenous population live 91,000 Asians (mostly Indians), 24,000 Arabs, and 30,000 Europeans. Agriculture, stock-raising, and forestry are the predominant occupations: the first involving cereals, tea, sugar cane, cotton, coconuts, peanuts, etc.; the second has already built up substantial wealth (cattle, sheep, goats); the last is still in its early stages. Only gold is extracted from the subsoil. Nairobi (61,000 inhabitants; inland, at 1,675 m.) is the capital; Mombasa (57,000 inhabitants) is the principal port. The colony is governed by a governor and councillors, some of them elected.
The Anglo-German agreements of 1886 and 1890 demarcated the zones of influence in the hinterland of the sultanate and secured this territory for Great Britain. England did not, however, immediately take possession of the territory assigned to it, which was instead administered by the British East Africa Company. In 1895 the East Africa Protectorate (East Africa Protectorate) was established. In July 1920 it acquired the status of a crown colony and took, from the country’s highest mountain, the name K. Administered by a governor, who heads an executive council and a legislative council, the latter comprising representatives of the white colonists, the Indians, the Arabs, and the Negroes, the colony, owing to the variety of its races, presents no small governmental difficulties.
but subsequent missionary activity remained fruitless. Toward the end of the 17th century the Portuguese were forced to cede Mombasa definitively to the Arabs.
Only in the second half of the 19th century was the mission resumed. In 1860 Mgr. Maupoint of the diocese of St-Denis (Réunion), appointed apostolic prefect of Zanguebar, sent his vicar general Fava to Zanzibar, and in 1863 called upon the Fathers of the Holy Spirit to collaborate; in 1872 the mission of Zanguebar was officially entrusted to them. It comprised the entire eastern coast of Africa from Mozambique to Somalia. Numerous territories were subsequently detached from this mission.
On the coast of K., the Fathers of the Holy Spirit founded the mission of Mombasa in 1891 and, in the interior, that of Nairobi in 1899. The missionaries of the Consolata achieved excellent results from the beginning of the 20th century among the Kikuyu and Ameru, and the Mill Hill Fathers among the Kavirondo. The northern part of K. still remains without missionaries.
K. is divided into four ecclesiastical jurisdictions: the apostolic vicariate of Zanzibar (its present designation dates from 1906), erected as the apostolic prefecture of Zanguebar in 1860 and as an apostolic vicariate in 1883, comprising the Island of Zanzibar and most of K., and entrusted to the missionaries of the Holy Spirit. The apostolic vicariate of Nyeri, established as a mission in 1905 and as the apostolic vicariate of K. in 1909, has had its present designation since 1926. The apostolic prefecture of Meru was established in 1926. Nyeri and Meru are entrusted to the Institute of the Consolata. The apostolic vicariate of Kisumu, established in 1925 as the apostolic prefecture of Kavirondo and as the apostolic vicariate of Kisumu in 1932, is entrusted to the Mill Hill missionaries.
IV. SCHOOL SYSTEM
When the League of Nations entrusted the former German colony to Great Britain in 1919, under a temporary and special mandate, a reorganization also took place in the field of education. The cultural needs of the Hindus were taken into account, and special government and private schools were founded for them, attended by 2,000 pupils. The indigenous population, on the other hand, sends its children to schools for indigenous people, to European-type government schools, or to private schools, which are divided into Protestant and Catholic schools. The latter, called “Missionary” schools,include 1,172 schools of catechism and prayer, 842 elementary schools, 123 secondary schools, and 8 normal schools. The education of the indigenous Catholic clergy is provided for in 2 minor seminaries and 1 major seminary. - Vedi tav. XLIII.