why?Kenyans started to seek out independence in the early 1950s. The Kenyans were being stripped of their land from British colonists and were tired of the little opportunity offered to them by the British. All of the important jobs in Kenya were occupied by British instead of the Kenyans. The natives realized this was not fair and grew a strong sense of nationalism, causing them to seek independence.
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How?The push for independence all began with the Mau Mau Rebellion. Members of this group attacked colonial leaders and other settlers. Most of the Mau Mau members were Kikuyu, the largest ethnic group in Kenya, so between 1952 and 1956, the British detained the Kikuyu whether they were part of the Mau Mau Rebellion or not. During this time the British were very brutal to the Kenyans across the country. In 1957, the British realized that the Kenyans wanted change, so they allowed elections of native leaders to the Legislative Council. After that, from 1960-1963, the British worked with the Africans to plan the transition to independence and they created a constitution with a bicameral legislature.
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