BRITISH COLONIALISM AND THE GROWTH OF ELDAMA RAVINE TOWN IN BARINGO COUNTY, KENYA, 1895-1963

Abstract

Eldama Ravine is one of the rich hubs and commercial towns in Baringo County. Its historical background and development dates back to the initial establishment of an administrative and garrison station in 1894 by the nascent British administration. In 1895 the building of the Sclator’s caravan road from Mombasa to Uganda passed through this town. It is situated in a place that was formerly a hilly pasture land occupied by the Lembus sub-section inhabitants of Tugen. The study seeks to examine the initial Tugen response to British invasion from 1892 up to 1900, to investigate how colonialism changed Tugen ways of life from 1901 to the end of the First World War in 1918, to assess ways in which the Tugen were affected by colonial rule during inter-war period from 1919 up to 1945 and to analyze how the Tugen contributed to decolonization process from 1946 to 1963. The study is based on the articulation of modes of production theory which examines the interactions between settler farmers, the British rule and the Tugen wage labourers. This paper analyses the main contributions of colonial administration and security activities sourced from reports brought by caravan landings to and from Mombasa to Entebbe respectively. The Lembus as administered subjects, were the local inhabitants and the Nubians who majored in providing security contributed greatly to its development from a small market into a big town in 1963. The study integrated the historical method concerning qualitative research for data collection and research design. This methodology used purposive sampling which led into the snowballing. Primary sources required use of oral interviews, archival sources, newspapers, theses and reports. Secondary sources involved articles, relics and books. Collected data were compiled and analyzed. The study contributes to the historical analysis of British colonialism, its legacies and its significance in Kenya.