RP-Department of History, Archaeology and Political Studies

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Land, labour and capital in Natal: The Natal Land and Colonisation Company 1860–19481
(Cambridge University Press, 1975-04) Slater, H.
The history of the London-based Natal Land and Colonisation Company is explored against the background of the evolving political economy of rural Natal. In the early years of the colony, white-controlled farming operations consistently failed. The landholdings of bankrupt colonists passed into the hands of a small group of men with capital. In 1861 this group activated its links with financiers in Britain to float the Natal Land and Colonisation Company. The Company ‘bought’ 250,000 acres of surplus lands from them in return for an injection of metropolitan capital into productive operations to be carried out on the remaining mainly coastal lands, or into further speculative activity. In fact, white-controlled farming activity in the interior continued to stagnate. Money which the Company loaned to white farmers in the 1860s, secured as mortgages on their farms, was not repaid, and the Company took over the lands of the bankrupt until in 1874 it controlled 657,000 acres in Natal. Anxious for a sizeable and more reliable source of income, the Company, in common with some colonists, concentrated on extracting rent from Africans, as yet the only successful farming population of the Natal interior. The increasing importance of this source of income to the Company was rudely interrupted in the 1890s by a fundamental shift in the Natal political economy. New mining centres in South Africa looked to Natal to furnish some of their needs for raw material and labour. The balance of economic and political forces favoured those who demanded labour, not rent, from Natal Africans. The Company switched its capital in good time out of renting land to African farmers and into renting and property development in the growing urban areas of white South Africa. Its properties were brought within the empire of the Eagle Star Insurance Company in 1948.
The provision of formal western education among the Kenyan pastoral communities; 1900-1990
(Eastern Africa Journal of Historical and Social Sciences Research, 2000) Lemoosa, Peter Letotin
Searching for and accessing senior managers for public universities in Africa: challenges and opportunities
(Kenyatta University, 2001) Achola, Paul P.W.; Aseka, Eric Masinde
An Anatomy of Violent Crime and Insecurity in Kenya: The Case of Nairobi 1985-1999
(CODESRIA, 2001) Gimode, E. A.
Anthropology in Africa: what future for the historian?
(Kenyatta University, 2002) Murunga, G. R.
The relationship between anthropology and history has been differentiated by the notion of change. Also, the history of anthropology lends itself to specific people as its object of study- people without history. Its construction as a discipline was imbued from the start with historically - determined white racism. This racism capitalized on the fact that Africa was little known as a historical entity and so the continent was consigned into the realm of a historical anthropology. For long, this form of colonial anthropology has been dominant. One of the main objectives of anthropology in Africa, as distinct from African anthropology, has been to rethink the role of the discipline in Africa and for Africans. A new field of study called historical anthropology has developedfrom this endeavour. This paper raises the central question of whether anthropology and history in Africa have resolved their contradictions in relation to disciplinary peculiarities and methodology. It argues that the notion of change and that of historical explanation define and refine the historians' approach and differentiates historians from anthropologists. It posits that historical anthropology as constructed in some western academies fails to resolve the tension emanating from the differences between the two disciplines. This is in so far as the notion of change is used and also the advantage the historian employs in the methodological approach of historical explanation. It is concluded that the feasibility of a historical anthropology is only tenable if the contradictions between the two disciplines are negotiated and resolved. Whatever vested interests African anthropologists might have in their discipline, after 25 years of hibernation they have been overtaken by events both in Africa and in the North. The deconstruction of anthropology has more or less been done for them by the Northerners and naturally from their point of view.
Nomiya Luo Church: A gender analysis of the dynamics of an African Independent Church in Siaya district, Kenya, c.1907 to 1963
(Southern African Missiological Society vol 31 Issue Number 2 Pages 239-277, 2003) Ndeda, M. A. J.
This paper explores the connections between gender and the independency Christian ideology in the formation of new social relations as well as affirmation of traditional relations of domination between men and women. To aid in the analysis of these issues a case study is used, that of the Nomiya Luo Church, whose history and tenets are discussed. This church developed within a semi patriarchal set up hence we analyse male dominance and its persistence in church. Some ofthe religious doctrines, beliefs and value systems and their impact on the roles and values concerning women are considered. Roles ofwomen in independent churches, the opportunities for leadership, their roles as healers and patients and in relation to their background and concerns of daily life are discussed. Moreover, as the rank and the file members of such movements, women also possess their own hidden sub-cultures and practices, which definitely influence the groups. The intention is to establish the gender roles and attitudes in this church.
The Politics of Marginal Forms: Popular Music, Cultural Identity and Political Opposition in Kenya
(CODESRIA, 2004) Wekesa, Peter Wafula
This paper focuses specifically on the Kenyan context to contest the foregoing position. Its argument rests on the axiom that whereas it has become normal in the writings on civil society, democratization and so on, to emphasize forms of cultural expressions that are perceived to be avowedly more understood in political circles than others, the space of popular music cannot be under-estimated. It is beneath the dialectics of production and consumption of this popular music with all its contradictions that the fertile intellectual arena on its potent marginalization could be resuscitated. The paper, addressing popular music from a historical perspective, takes into account its dynamic interplay as an aural percept, experience, social practice, individual and cultural expression and as a means of creatively adapting to perceived material conditions to reveal the complex and vital role of popular music as a system for the enactment and negotiation of emergent patterns of identity under conditions of pervasive social, political and economic change
A Global Mennonite History: Volume One: Africa
(American Society of Church History, 2005-06) Gimode, E. A.
Ethical Practices For Effective Leadership: Fact Or Fallacy-The Kenyan Experience
(KCA Journal of Business Managementt, 2009) Minja, D.M.
The subject of ethics in Kenya has been a hot one for the last few years. The country has witnessed some of the worst corruption scandals in her history since independence. Even with the establishment of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, the situation has not improved. This article tries to argue that laws alone cannot ‘convert’ the society that has developed and perfected the art of unethical practices. A new way of thinking is necessary that will involve and empower everyone to start thinking and behaving in an ethical way. I have in this article developed a model which can be used to transform societies. Several recommendations applicable not only to the Kenyan society but any other society that desires to transform its people into ethically responsible people has been made. Among the main recommendations is the adoption of a systemic approach to dealing with unethical practices as opposed to only a legalistic approach. In addition, the work of transformation begins with leaders who in turn mentor others to produce the desired behaviour. Hiring a person responsible for overseeing issues of ethics won’t do the job until everyone is involved. It is for that reason that I have adopted the systems approach in handling this challenge. The adoption of the proposed model will offer assistance to those who desire to influence their societies to be ethically responsible. In the light of this argument, ethical leadership can be a fact and not a fallacy.
Mutongi Kenda. Worries of the Heart: Widows, Family, and Community in Kenya
(Cambridge., 2009) Ndeda, Mildred A. J.
Old issues and new challenges: the Migingo Island controversy and the Kenya–Uganda borderland
(Journal of Eastern African Studies, 2010-06-28) Wekesa, Peter Wafula
This paper examines the controversy between Kenya and Uganda over the ownership of Migingo Island in the shared Lake Victoria waters, in the context of general debates regarding African boundary disputes. The Migingo controversy brings to the fore unresolved issues around the emergence, nature and transformation of African borders generally, and their significant role in addressing pertinent questions of territoriality, citizenship and nationhood. Like other border controversies elsewhere in Africa, the Migingo case challenges the perception that border areas are marginal spaces that can be ignored. Migingo's troubles underscore the realities of Africa's colonial borders, bringing into focus the border populations and the social, cultural and economic relations they generate across the dividing lines. While challenging eastern Africa's states to view local communities as important agents in fostering change along common borders, the paper emphasizes the need for harmonious border relations as a barometer in testing good neighbourliness and regional integration.
Leadership Practices: A case of selected corporate institutions in Nairobi, Kenya
(Journal of leadership, Governance and Development, 2011-06) Minja, D.M.
Leadership determines whether an organization, a nation or a group will achieve its goals and also satisfy the followers' needs. This study focused on leadership practices in selected institutions in Nairobi-Kenya. The design of the study was exploratory and snowball sampling methodology was used. The results of this study revealed that majority of executives in Kenya practiced participative and a combination of transactional and transformational styles of leadership. Majority of the respondents indicated that most of the leaders practice effective leadership. The study respondents revealed that effective leaders are guided by a leadership philosophy. They also stated that valued-based leadership practice is at the core of effective leadership. Based on the results of these findings, the researcher proposed a value-based leadership model and several values that effective leaders ought to possess have been suggested. The conclusion made as a result of this study is that effective leadership is both task and people-oriented. A leader must always strive to strike a balance between these two. Keywords: Effective leadership, transactional leadership, transformational leadership,value-based leadership
Emerging Africa: How 17 Countries are Leading the Way by Steven Radelet. Washington, DC: Center for Global Development, 2010.
(Wiley Periodicals, Inc, 2012-10) Kiruthu, Felix Macharia
The impact of globalization on African countries economic development
(African Journal of Business Management, 2012-11) Nguhi, S.; Wenjing, W.; Rongcheng, W.; Ayenagbo, K.; Kimatu, J. N.; Makse, P. J.
The term globalization captures the attention of everyone and especially economic development researchers. However, despite the prior prosperity promises of globalization and the benefits of an information accessing society, the afterwards benefits have not been universal and global inequality has increased instead. Some studies show that globalization has widened the gap between rich and poor countries in its relentless progression while others are unclear about its effect. Although the idea of globalization had gradually been developed since the Second World War, its impact gained momentum in the early 1990s; Africa has not been spared from the implications of this phenomenon. We used the KOF Globalization Index with a special bias on African countries. The purpose of this article is to examine the progressive position of Africa in the global economy and highlight key sustainable approaches which African countries can adopt as economic development priorities as it fits into a globalized economy. However, the losses could be higher for African countries or less depending on its approach. African governments’ policies should be designed systematically so as to balance between its current low economic status, its political teething problems and the pressures to catch up and fit into the inevitable globalization trends. This would minimize the economic marginalization of Africa and increase it utilization of its raw materials and human resources.
Place Branding as a Means for Negotiating for an African identity: A Personal Reflection of Myths, Roles and Perspectives in Kenya
(2013) Maingi, S.W.
The recreation of an indigenous identity for Africa has undergone significant challenge. The very nature of a dynamic global, socio-economic environment has created a political quagmire within African societies. Such that, community priorities have changed to address fundamental issues facing livelihoods. The need for subsistence, success and economic empowerment has created the need for identity and sustenance. Social dynamics within African contexts have indicated a strong western influence as well as an evolved identity. Additionally, the post-colonial legacies in Kenyan contexts has widely contributed towards reshaping the true meaning of 'indigenous'. The preserved pre and post colonial existence and histories have created local myths and legacies of the ideal African identity. Though, envisioned within the context of hugely heterogenous ethnic identities, we are faced with a legacy of an altruist society. This paper therefore seeks to open a dialogue on the evolution of a post-modern cultural individuality that is guided by personal reflections of self and social meanings in Kenya. Reflective thinking as a methodology is widely accepted in qualitative research as a means of 'facilitative reflexivity' and 'clarifying individual belief systems and subjectivities ' as noted by Michael Ortlipp in his paper on Keeping and using reflective journals in the Qualitative research process. David & Gannon (2003)i support this supposition by noting that, "the assumptions made about the nature of, and relations between, subjects, the texts they produce and the conceptual tools and strategies that are used to analyze them are useful models". Naturally, roles of the Kenyan identity are a reflection of actual natural and (or) recreated events and happenings within Kenyan history. A self reflection on the meanings of these events in building an identity of Kenya is hereby discussed in the paper. Analogies with brand image perceptions of Kenya as a tourism destination are also discussed. Conclusively, this paper identifies the unique roles of an African identity as a destination and what it means for Africans themselves.
Reading the Story of Jesus Christ as an Epic
(Cultural and Religious Studies, 2015) Mwai, Wangari; Gimode, Edwin; Kebaya, Charles
There is no doubt that Jesus Christ is the eternal embodiment of the Christian faith. The story of salvation, especially the life of Jesus, forms the basis through which many Christians encounter the eternal. Indeed, each facet of Christ is intricately intertwined with the others and that Christian literature often focuses on redefining various figures in the image of Christ and on illustrating morality. Without disparaging in any way the story of Jesus Christ, this paper parallels the conceptualization of epic heroism and the narrative of Jesus Christ. In doing this, the article provides a critical exegesis of elements of epic heroism in the story of Christ. Ultimately, reading the story of Jesus Christ through the prism of epic heroism helps us submit that it is a “tale of Christian identity” comparable to the epic identity and able to convey eternal meaning to Christian groups who recognize it as “their story of salvation”.
Pre Colonial History of the Thagichu
(2016) Kithinji, Caroline Mucece; Okelo, David O; Muriungi`, Colomba Kaburi
This study is on pre colonial history of the Thagichu. The study examines the history of the Thagichu during the pre colonial period up to 1907. The study employed the descriptive research design. Data was collected from oral, archival and secondary sources. A total of 50 respondents were purposively sampled and interviewed. Data from oral sources was corroborated with data from archival and secondary sources. The major findings of this research are that the Thagichu originated from Mbwa and finally settled in their present day homeland in Meru County. The social, political and economic organization of the Thagichu is also explored. This study has contributed to the Thagichu historiography.
A History of Social Exclusion and Poverty of the Thagichu of Igembe Sub - County, Meru County from 1907 To 1962
(ISO 9001:2015 Certified Publishing Group, 2016) Kithinji, Caroline Mucece; Okelo, David O; Muriungi, Colomba Kaburi
This study is on social exclusion and poverty of the Thagichu of Igembe Sub - County, Meru County in Kenya from 1907 to1962.The study traces the history of social exclusion of the Thagichu from the colonial epoch of the years1907 to 1962. Kenyan Government strategies towards alleviation of social exclusion and poverty between 2013 1nd 2015 are also explored.The study was guided by the theories of Underdevelopment, Materialistic Conception of History and Social Darwinism. The study employed the descriptive research design. Data was collected from oral, archival and secondary sources. A total of 50 people were purposively sampled and interviewed. Data from oral sources was corroborated with data from archival and secondary sources. The major findings of this research are that the Thagichu have been socially excluded by the colonial Government. This exclusion was noted in inadequate infrastructure like roads, schools, hospitals and lack of access to social services like banks compared to other areas of Meru County. The study also established that the government has come up with strategies that could help in tackling social exclusion and poverty of the Thagichu. Such strategies are building more educational facilities, provision of free primary and day secondary education, adult and continuing education, non-formal education and provision of educational funds through the constituency development fund and Affirmative Action Social Development Fund. Other strategies aimed at poverty alleviation are establishment of road networks, land adjudication, presence of NGOs, provision of formal employment, Health facilities, growth of an urban centre and Provision of electricity. This study has contributed to the Thagichu historiography
A Critique of Kenya’s Security Sector Reforms (SSR) in the Fight against Terrorism
(International Journal of Science And Research, 2019) Mwangi, Susan Waiyego; Okinda, Albert Ochieng
The waning of the Cold War marked a shift in the concept of security from state-centric to the person-centered notion. In addition, this notion aimed at making security more applicable to such emerging threats of the 21st century such as terrorism, poverty and global warming, which present greater threats to humans than interstate wars. One of the major enduring threats in the provision of security has been radicalism and terrorism. In this regard, states have increasingly treated terrorism and terror threats as the single biggest challenges, initiating, in their wake several reforms in the security sector to deal with the challenge. This paper using data from extensive field research spanning three months and literature from various sources, examined the correlation of security sector reforms and global terrorism with a focus on Kenya. The government of Kenya, since the terrorist attack of 1998, has taken various security sector reforms in order to address the existing weaknesses with the national security architecture. These reforms have involved measures of reorganizing security institutions and rewriting of laws to strengthen these institutions in the fight against global terrorism. Despite the fact that many of these reforms have been undertaken and embedded in the current constitution, the threat of terrorism in Kenya remains a reality. Geo-politically, why do terrorists target Kenya? What are the (in)adequacies of existing SSR in curbing terror threats? What more can the government and its partners do in order to curb the threat to radicalization of the youth?
Transformation of Gender Power Relations in Igembe Central, Meru County, Kenya Between 1895 and 1963
(International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Science, 2020) Ngari, Lazarus; Wekesa, Wafula; Nkirote, Maranya Z.; Muraya, Martha
The gender role theory suggests that socially identified males and females occupy different ascribed roles within divergent expectations of how they should behave. The theory groups men and women separately and assigns them roles based on their biological sex. Historically and across the world, gender roles have undergone considerable transformations. However, few studies have examined such changes in the African context. As an attempt to address this gap, the current research aimed to explore the changes in gender power relations among the people of Igembe Central, Meru County in Kenya, in the colonial era. The findings are based on interviews and guided questions involving a purposive sample of men and women in the region. During the pre-colonial period, Igembe women and men had distinct identities which produced complementary roles and relationships. Following the coming of European colonisers, gender power relations underwent significant changes that emanated from socio-economic and dynamics to fit within the capitalist production system, and which had far-reaching consequences on the community. The study focused on six areas through which the colonizers re-shaped gender-based values and behaviours in the area: colonial rule, Christianity, World Wars, the Mau Mau Uprising, education, and migration. These six and other forces combined to strip men of their traditionally respected status, redefined new roles for both men and women, and redistributed the power relations that existed between the two genders.

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