Colonial Kenya: Identity issues

The article is devoted to the study of the problems of development of the the indigenous population identity in Kenya during the colonial era. The object of the study is self-perception of Kenyans during the reign of the British Empire. The subject of the study is transformation, under the influence of colonizers, of the tribal and group identification of local residents into an identity based on a tribe, later on a nationality. Special attention is paid to the activities of missionaries in the spread of Christianity, as the most important aspect of Kenyan identity. Using the example of the Luo people, the positive aspects of the introduction of the European vision of identity are demonstrated. The Kenyans' identitarian ideas were archaic, but not primitive, at the time of the arrival of the colonizators. The social structure of each particular community could be at a different level of development. The same person could belong to several groups at the same time, his status, rights and duties varied depending on the internal hierarchy of each community. The imperial authorities did not immerse themselves in the nuances of the social organization of the indigenous Kenyans and settled on the tribal stratum as a basic element. Tribes, and later peoples, could be managed more efficiently and easier. The transfer of the concept of tribal identity to property and land relations laid the foundations for numerous local conflicts and tensions during the period of independence. The consolidation and formation of large supranational structures - nationalities and ethnicities - has been a positive result of the planting of a European understanding of identity for local residents. The modern identity of Kenyans is characterized by collectivism, religiosity, communal identity, family values, and clear gender behaviors. Abroad, Kenyans are doing their best to preserve and pass on the languages, traditions and cultural practices of their historical homeland to the younger generation. Their own churches and parishes emphasize the otherness of Kenyan diasporas in Western countries, strengthen self-identification, maintain a system of ideological coordinates, preventing migrants from breaking away from their historical homeland. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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