IV.

Presidency

As president, Kenyatta, known affectionately to Kenyans as mzee (Swahili for “old man”), strove to unify the new nation of Kenya. He worked to establish harmonious race relations, safeguarding whites’ property rights and appealing to both whites and the African majority to forget past injustices. Kenyatta adopted the slogan “Harambee” (Swahili for “let’s all pull together”), asking whites and Africans to work together for the development of Kenya. He promoted capitalist economic policies, encouraged foreign investment in Kenya, and adopted a pro-Western foreign policy. Such policies were unpopular with radicals within KANU, who advocated socialism for Kenya. However, Kenyatta isolated this element of KANU, forcing radical vice president Oginga Odinga and his supporters out of the party in 1966. Odinga formed the rival Kenya People’s Union (KPU), which drew much support from Odinga’s ethnic group, the Luo. Kenyatta used his extensive presidential powers and control of the media to counter the challenge to his leadership and appealed for Kikuyu ethnic solidarity. The 1969 assassination of cabinet minister Tom Mboya—a Luo ally of Kenyatta’s—by a Kikuyu led to months of tension and violence between the Luo and the Kikuyu. Kenyatta banned Odinga’s party, detained its leaders, and called elections in which only KANU was allowed to participate. For the remainder of his presidency, Kenya was effectively a one-party state, and Kenyatta made use of detention, appeals to ethnic loyalties, and careful appointment of government jobs to maintain his commanding position in Kenya’s political system. Kenyatta was reelected president in 1969 and 1974, unopposed each time. Until the mid-1970s Kenya maintained a high economic growth rate under Kenyatta’s leadership, due to a favorable international market for Kenya’s main exports and external economic assistance.

After 1970 Kenyatta’s advancing age kept him from the day-to-day management of government affairs. He intervened only when necessary to settle disputed issues. Critics maintained that Kenyatta’s relative isolation resulted in increasing domination of Kenya’s affairs by well-connected Kikuyu who acquired great wealth as a result. Despite such criticism, however, no serious challenge to Kenyatta’s leadership emerged. Kenyatta died in office in 1978 and was succeeded by Kenyan vice president Daniel arap Moi. Moi pledged to continue Kenyatta’s work, labeling his own program Nyayo (Swahili for “footsteps”). Kenyatta was revered after his death as the father of modern Kenya. His published works include Suffering Without Bitterness (1968), a collection of reminiscences and speeches.