British East Africa (1895–1963)

In 1895, Britain declared Kenya a protectorate of British East Africa. The construction of the Uganda Railway (1896–1901) from Mombasa to Kisumu on Lake Victoria — a massive project that brought thousands of Indian workers to Kenya — opened up the interior for colonization.

The fertile highlands were reserved as "White Highlands" for British settlers, who established coffee, tea, and sisal plantations. The indigenous population — particularly the Kikuyu — was displaced from their ancestral lands and forced into cheap labor on the farms. Karen Blixen's "Out of Africa" romanticizes this era but only tells the settlers' perspective.

The Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960) was Kenya's bloodiest struggle against colonial power: Kikuyu fighters waged a guerrilla war against British settlers and colonial troops. The British response was brutal — over 100,000 Kenyans were interned in camps, torture and executions were widespread. The uprising was militarily suppressed but led politically to a rethink: Kenya was to become independent.