An Anatomy of Ethnic Gangsterism and Militant Nationalism in Kenya: The Case of Nairobi, 1940-1963
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Date
2025
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ENSO
Abstract
Towards the end of the 1940s, Nairobi was characterized by momentous
political conflict. A large proportion of Africans were said to be living
outside the confines of colonial supervision, a situation that resulted in
gangsterism and serious anarchy. Extensive research has been carried
out on various dimensions of this episode, revealing that militarism and
anarchy were deeply rooted in unresolved issues revolving around
economic deprivation and the political exclusion of Africans by the
colonial authorities. Some aspects of this violent agitation however
remain unexplored. It’s demonstrated in this study that the urban poor
in post-1945 Nairobi, pushed to the limits of human endurance, created
their own alternative society in clandestine opposition to the forces of
law and order. Examining the anarchy, however, reveals a nexus
between anti-colonial militancy and ethnic acrimony. The study reveals
that tribalism remained an important influence on daily life and political
allegiances in the African locations. Armed with various weapons,
Kikuyu gangs roamed the streets, terrorizing people of other
communities. The spate of militant activity in Nairobi alienated the nonKikuyu elements in the African population. Anti-colonial militarism
thus had far-reaching implications on inter-ethnic relations in Nairobi.
The ethnic question remained critical in political transitions that took
place in Nairobi city in the post-Mau Mau period. The study was carried
out in Nairobi County, particularly in the colonial ‘African locations’ of
Pumwani and Shauri Moyo. It entailed the collection and analysis of
data from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data was
collected from oral informants and the Kenya National Archives while
secondary data came from newspapers, books, magazines and
dissertations. Data was then corroborated and both context and content
analysis were done to guarantee consistency, reliability and validity of
the information. A historical research design based on qualitative
procedures was employed. Interpretation was done within the Marxist
theoretical framework. Marxists hold that social and political behaviour
can be reduced to economic motives, and ethnicity is an important force
in political behaviour.
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Murathi, A. K. (2025). An Anatomy of Ethnic Gangsterism and Militant Nationalism in Kenya: The Case of Nairobi, 1940- 1963. African Journal of History and Geography, 4(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.37284/ajhg.4.1.2641