The Evolving Role of the British Empire in Kenya

In this episode, we are joined by British author and Guardian columnist Owen Jones, Mumbi Kanyongo of Kenya Comms Hub, and Sungu Oyoo, spokesperson for Kongamano La Mapinduzi, to unpack these developments and contextualize the evolving role of the British Empire in Kenya today.

Barely four years after independence, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga warned of an illusory independence for Kenya, one that existed only in name and flag. It was a freedom unaccompanied by the land redistribution and liberation that the Kenya Land and Freedom Army had fought for, and one in which the British Empire continued to exert influence over its former colony, including by ensuring that the country’s leaders remained favourably inclined toward Britain. Under the banner of “from colonialism to cooperation,” the UK initiated various efforts ranging from drafting technical assistance programs and aid proposals through the Commonwealth Relations Office, to more covert operations such as the Information Research Department, which paid Kenyan writers and broadcasters to circulate articles critical of China and the Soviet Union, thereby shaping Kenya’s global alignment.

Six decades later, UK-Kenya “cooperation” endures, with the UK still described as a “key strategic partner,” as President William Ruto reaffirmed after a meeting with British High Commissioner Neil Wigan in March this year. Nevertheless, British diplomacy and its role in Kenya have shifted significantly, giving way to the dominance of the United States empire in the neoliberal era.

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