A History of the Mozambican Makonde People of Kwale County in Kenya since Precolonial Times upto 2016
| dc.contributor.author | Omwoa, Khakori Peris | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-09-01T06:27:51Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-09-01T06:27:51Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-04 | |
| dc.description | A Research Thesis Submitted to the School of Law, Arts And Social Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree Master of Arts (History) of Kenyatta University. April 2025. Supervisors 1. Lazarus.K. Ngari 2. Enock Akattu | |
| dc.description.abstract | The history of labour migrant communities in Africa is conceived in the context of the social, economic and political evolution of African societies. Across the globe, communities always experience various progressions from one another and also as time progresses, different changes occur in both societal aspects of a community. This study examined the history of the Makonde people of Kenya from 1936-2016 who came to Kenya as labour migrants. The Makonde people are an ethnic community who live in Kwale County. The objectives of the study were to analyse the social, economic and political history of the Makonde people from pre-colonial times up to 1936, to examine the extent in which the colonial labour policies and ordinances affected the Makonde labour migrants between 1936 and 1962, and to assess the changing relationship between the Makonde and the State in post-independent Kenya from 1963-2016. The study utilized Karl Marx’s Labour Theory of Value and Exploitation. Also, Cultural identity theory was used. The study was carried out in Kwale County. Snowballing and purposive sampling techniques were applied to come up with a population sample. This research utilized both primary and secondary sources. Primary data was gathered from the Kenya National Archives in Nairobi while oral sources were collected through interviews and open-ended questionnaires. Primary data were collected from Kenya National Archives and also through oral interviews and open-ended questionnaires that were administered to identify respondents in the field. Secondary data was procured from Kenyatta University Library among other universities repository documentary centres. The primary oral data was analysed by first translating oral interviews from Swahili to English language, grouping data based on objectives, and verification of any possible contradicting information. This data was later corroborated with archival and secondary data and then presented in a descriptive narrative. From the findings of this study, the Makonde people who are found in Kenya today came from Mozambique in 1936 as labour migrants to work in European plantations in the coastal region. The study also found out that the Makonde people had proper social, economic, and political systems which guided their day-to-day activities; On the other hand, their social, economic, and political systems have experienced some transformation since migrating to Kenya. However, they have retained some of their old social, economic and political aspects which they practiced while in Mozambique. The study also found out that the Makonde people of Kenya have contributed to the economy of post-colonial Kenya in the tourism sectors through their sculpting activities. The study recommended that since the Makonde have been recognized as one of the Kenyan ethnic groups, further studies should be conducted to ascertain how the new citizenship status bestowed upon them has affected their relationship with their neighbours. It further recommended that studies should be conducted to ascertain how the Makonde have benefited from their new citizenship since lack of citizenship status had denied them the opportunities to acquire/buy land, access education, and health care as well as vote and seek elective positions. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/31323 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.title | A History of the Mozambican Makonde People of Kwale County in Kenya since Precolonial Times upto 2016 | |
| dc.type | Thesis |