Biography
Jomo Kenyatta
Prime Minister 1963. President 1964 to 1978. KANU. Died 1978.
Jomo Kenyatta was Kenya's first Prime Minister and first President. Detained by the colonial government as one of the Kapenguria Six, Kenyatta led Kenya from independence until his death in 1978. Born in 1897 in Gatundu, Kiambu County (approximate year). Died on 22 August 1978 in Mombasa.
- Full name
- Jomo Kenyatta, born Kamau wa Ngengi
- Born
- 1897, Gatundu, Kiambu County (approximate year)
- Died
- 22 August 1978, Mombasa
- Party
- KANU
- Family
- Father of Uhuru Kenyatta. Married to Mama Ngina Kenyatta, among others.
Education
- Church of Scotland Mission, ThogotoMission school
- London School of EconomicsSocial anthropology; his thesis became 'Facing Mount Kenya' (1938)
Career
- 1928General Secretary of the Kikuyu Central Association
- 1931 to 1946Lived in Britain campaigning for Kenyan land rights; at the 1945 Pan-African Congress
- 1947President of the Kenya African Union
- 1952 to 1961Arrested, convicted at Kapenguria and detained
- 1961President of KANU
- 1963Prime Minister at independence
- 1964 to 1978First President of Kenya
What Kenyatta stood for
State-centred, conservative nation-building: a strong presidency, a market economy and little room for organised dissent.
- Role of the state in the economy: Leans market-led
- Land, wealth and taxes: Low redistribution
- Institutions and power-sharing: Executive-centred
- Political style: Establishment
- Civil liberties: Order-first
Placed mainly from what Kenyatta did, not what Kenyatta said. See the full record, with every source.
Common questions
Who was Jomo Kenyatta?
Jomo Kenyatta was Kenya's first Prime Minister and first President. Detained by the colonial government as one of the Kapenguria Six, Kenyatta led Kenya from independence until his death in 1978. Prime Minister 1963. President 1964 to 1978. KANU. Died 1978.
When was Jomo Kenyatta born, and when did they die?
Born in 1897 in Gatundu, Kiambu County (approximate year). Died on 22 August 1978 in Mombasa.
What did Jomo Kenyatta study?
Social anthropology; his thesis became 'Facing Mount Kenya' (1938) at London School of Economics.
Which party was Jomo Kenyatta in?
KANU.
What did Jomo Kenyatta stand for?
State-centred, conservative nation-building: a strong presidency, a market economy and little room for organised dissent.
Sources (1)
Facts above come from these sources. Where they disagree, we leave the detail out. Spotted an error? Send it in.