Browsing by Author "Kinyanjui, Felistus"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Beer and World War: Reflections on Consumption by Troops in Nairobi, Kenya:1939-1945
    (International Journal of History and Philosophical Research, 2025-01) Murathi, Antony Kimani; Kakai, Pius; Kinyanjui, Felistus
    This article examines the question of beer consumption by second world war troops in Nairobi, Kenya between 1939 and 1945. World War II was one of the most destructive conflicts in African history with regard to the human costs, the numbers of people mobilized, the scale of violence and destruction experienced. Archival sources indicate that recruitment of manpower for combat and war related labour was the most important contribution of Kenya colony to the Allied cause. In this regard, 98,240 Kenyans were recruited as askaris (soldiers) into the King’s African Rifles, representing 30% of the unit’s total strength during the war. Substantial debate surrounded the question of access to beer by servicemen in Africa and Europe. Some historians claim that alcohol consumption was ubiquitous during the war among servicemen of all races and ranks. The article demonstrates that beer was a vital part of the experience for the soldiers. The article examines Kenya’s central role as the home of the East African force, the Eastern Fleet, and also as a war front with Italy and seeks to unravel how this impacted beer consumption in Nairobi. An equally important theme in the article is access to beer by white military men in Kenya during the turbulent war years. Analyzing the archival data and existing research on the role of Africans in the world war, this article reveals important points about war, military recruitment, beer consumption and alcoholism among combatants in the second world war. The study made extensive use of archival materials and oral interviews as primary sources. Secondary sources used to fill gaps in primary sources were books, unpublished thesis and relevant articles in journals.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The economic impact of immigrants in Kenya The case of Eastleigh estate in Nairobi, Kenya (1991-2010)
    (2014-07-25) Hassan, Adan Mohamed; Kinyanjui, Felistus
    Migration is an action that impacts on the welfare of households, the host community, and in the end the whole economy in various ways. The economic implications of migration on the origin country are most often, though not always, sizable and positive but for the host country are diverse and sometimes detrimental to the social wellbeing of the host communities. Some of the economic benefits of hosting refugees are increased income from remittances, ability to smooth consumption, access to finance for starting a new business, as well as tapping on to the knowledge and resources provided by the international community of the immigrants. This study seeks to investigate the economic contribution of immigrants in Eastleigh estate of Nairobi Kenya. The issues to be examined are the livelihood strategies adopted by immigrants, how the economic activities adopted by the immigrants have affected revenue collection in the estate and ways in which the presence of the immigrants has impacted on the economic status of the Kenyan communities in Eastleigh estate. The study will be carried out in Eastleigh estate of Nairobi. A sample size of 100 respondents will be drawn from the target population using purposive sampling technique. The data will be collected using questionnaires and interview schedules and analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively using simple descriptive statistics and presented in form of tables, charts and interpreted in prose form.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Women, Indigenous Beer and Brewing for the Market: A Cottage ‘Industry’ in Colonial Nairobi: 1920 - 1939
    (African Journal of History and Geography, 2025-02) Murathi, Antony Kimani; Kakai, Pius; Kinyanjui, Felistus
    Existing studies on women entrepreneurship in colonial Nairobi largely focused on women in prostitution, hawking and itinerant trade. Women in indigenous beer enterprise remained unstudied. This leaves a dearth in scholarship which this study sought to address. The objective of the study was to examine the development of entrepreneurial brewing of indigenous beer in Nairobi City from 1920 to 1939. The study discussed the factors that led to the rise of women’s indigenous beer enterprise and the reasons for its resilience in colonial Nairobi despite a raft of measures instituted by the colonial government to suppress it. It focused on continuities and changes that took place in indigenous beer production, marketing and consumption following the commoditization of traditional beer in Nairobi city in the early colonial period. The study employed a qualitative design based on a historical approach. Data was obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Collected data was verified for authenticity, consistency and reliability. It was then analyzed qualitatively and presented in line with the objective of the study. The study revealed that indigenous beer emerged as a factor in commercial life in African locations in Nairobi and was produced and sold by women. Measures adopted by the colonial government to control indigenous beer entrepreneurial activity of women largely failed to curtail it. This is because it provided inexpensive alcohol for the urban low-income earner, particularly during the Depression years. New techniques and tools replaced the traditional brewing tools and mechanisms. The traditional brewing tools and mechanisms were replaced by new techniques and tools. The study is significant because it provides important data on women’s domination of specific incomeearning niches in the urban milieu in colonial Kenya.