Agriculture in Kenya

Matt Butcher

POL 140

Paper Assignment

Due 12/1/11

Agriculture in Kenya

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The Republic of Kenya is one of the many developing countries across the globe. More recently, Kenya's economy has been growing, though it is still struggling when compared to other countries. Nearly 22% of Kenya's G.D.P. comes from agriculture and 75% of Kenyans are in the agricultural sector. Despite those statistics, today Kenya still struggles to maintain food security. A significant portion of the Kenyan population starves and relies on food aid. If Kenya can successfully maintain and improve their agricultural sector, their path to economic security will be easier to obtain.

Kenya was a colony of Germany up until the end of World War I. During World War I Great Britain took over colonial control. Great Britain maintained Kenya as her colony up until a few years after the end of World War II. During the British control, Great Britain, like she did with so many other countries across Africa and Asia, utilized the country's agriculture sector for their benefit. They produced coffee and tea. They also used Kenyans for their labor while paying very little in wages (some would almost say it was slavery). By the end of World War II, there was nearly 80,000 British living in Kenya benefitting from the agricultural production of the land.

However, after World War II, there was a Kenyan rebellion against the British Empire. The Mau Mau rebellion looked to gain independence from the British. Great Britain used British and Kenyan soldiers to fight the rebellion. By 1954, Great Britain had captured most members of the rebellion and sent them to detention camps.

The British Empire was crumbling and as a result, Great Britain looked to hand independency to Kenya, only to Kenyan loyalists. On December 12, 1964, the Republic

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of Kenya was established with Jomo Kenyaata becoming president. Kenya's agriculture remained essential to Kenyan development.

While agriculture is an important part of Kenyan development, the fact remains that only around 15% of Kenyan land is available to farmers. One-half of all Kenyan farmers are subsistent farmers. The past few decades, the Kenyan government has began leaving regulation of agriculture and letting individuals utilize their trade. Livestock is a growing industry within the agricultural