EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN EAST AFRICA

The Effects of Scramble and Partition in East Africa

East Africa was divided among the European powers i.e. Britain and Germany.  The British took up Uganda and Kenya which was the northern part of East Africa and Germany took Tanganyika which was the southern part of East Africa.  The effects include the following:

The East African states lost their independence and were subjected to European rule and administration e.g. Kenya and Uganda in were in the hands of the British while Tanzania was controlled by the Germans. 

Many African chiefs or kings were killed or sent into exile because of the scramble and partition in East Africa for example Kabalega and Mwanga were exiled while chief Mkwawa of the Hehe was beheaded for resisting German colonial rule in Tanganyika.

They established new systems of administration i.e. indirect rule by the British and direct rule by the Germans.
The Africans were regarded as an inferior group and were forced to provide labour for European plantations and other public works.

There was an increase of Europeans in East Africa for example many of them settled in the Kenya highlands. Thus Africans lost their land and were put into reserve camps e.g. the Masai.

After the partition, new boundaries were drawn and defined in East Africa without respect of the tribes which led to disunity of Africans.

Slave trade was completely wiped out and replaced with legitimate trade in East Africa.
Scramble and partition accelerated the construction and development of infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, roads and bridges. 

There was maximum exploitation of resources in East Africa like Ivory, Minerals like Gold, Copper, and Cash crops like Cotton, Coffee, and Sisal etc.

Agriculture was promoted and developed and some of the cash crops which were introduced like cotton and sisal became the export base of East Africa.  They also introduced new methods of farming.

They developed legitimate trade, which enabled them to get raw materials for their industries and they sold their products to East Africans.

They promoted the western culture in East Africa for example the way of dressing, religion, building, eating habits etc.

They undermined African cultures who took up the western culture and goods.  Africans therefore developed an inferiority complex as their traditional customs were despised and they took up the European culture as their way of life.

Taxes were introduced to be paid in form of money for example hut tax and gun tax, which encouraged the use of money.

Western formal education was introduced which replaced informal African education.

Administrative centres/posts were built in East Africa for example in Kampala, Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam.

Christianity was introduced and spread in East Africa whereby many people were converted from Islam to Christianity.  Various churches were also constructed in East Africa.

Methods used to establish colonial rule in East Africa.

After the partition and scramble for East Africa, the British and Germans used various methods in East Africa.  However, these methods varied from place to place and from time to time as follows:

The European colonialists used Christian missionaries who paved the   way for colonisation by preaching the message of love and brotherhood which convinced the African that it was a sin to fight against the Europeans.

The signing of treaties and agreements with African chiefs was another method used by Europeans to colonise East Africa for example the 1900 Buganda agreement, the Masai agreement of 1804, and several other agreements.  These assisted the British to establish their rule.

They used African collaborators and opportunists to conquer and annex areas that were resistant to colonialists’ rule for example Apollo Kagwa and Semei Kakungulu.

 The use of explorers or adventurers for example Speke and Stanley who gave exaggerated reports to their home governments based on lakes, minerals climate and mountains, which later attracted colonialists.

Colonialists used the method of divide and rule for example by introducing different religions such as Catholics, Protestants and Moslems etc.  This created disunity against the enemy.

The European colonialists also used the European settlers for example in the Kenya highlands.  These settlers introduced agriculture, which generated funds for their colonial governments.

They built communication lines for example the Uganda Railway which facilitated the movement of the British troops from the coast to the interior.  These were later used to put down rebellions.

They used bribery to make the chiefs and kings of East Africa convinced toward their colonial policies. 

The colonialists used the army of occupation to establish their rule in East Africa.  This was effective in the areas of Bunyoro where the British used the army of occupation.  In other words they used military confrontations for example Kabalega of Bunyoro was attacked by the army and the Germans attacked the Hehe.

They built administrative posts and forts for defensive purposes against African resistors.

They used chartered companies to establish colonial rule in East Africa for example IBEACO.

The European colonialists also used gifts to the African leaders like chiefs and kings to persuade their people to accept colonialism.

They used force to suppress resistance all of which maintained law and order.