dc.description.abstract | This is a study of the evolution and activities
of the Kenya African Civil Servants Association
(K.A.C.S.A:) from 1927 - 1963. It is based on primary
and secondary sources in archives and libraries in Kenya
and on oral interviews with some informants.
The study investigates the factors that contributed
to the formatjon of K.A.C.S.A; aims, success and failures
composition of the Association to determine whether
that Association was elitist. Finally, it investigates
the Association's role in the nationalist struggle for
independence.
The study uses theoretical approaches. These
include challenge and response, the elitist theory,
the theory of equal oppprtunity, and the labour theory
of social unrest. These approaches assist in explaining
the formative stage of K.A.C.S.A. and its subsequent
role in the independent transition period.
The study has been set in the context of colonial
Kenya. Preliminary chapters provide a potrait of
colonial society by reviewing the labour conditions
and problems. These problems provided an impetus
for the rise of African associations, among others
Kikuyu Central Association and Young Kavirondo
Association. These associations help in analysing
what the various African responses to pressures
and abuses perpetrated by the colonial government
were.
The thesis examines the aims and structure of
the colonial civil service. The colonial civil
service offered different terms of service for
Europeans, Asians and Africans. The Europeans and
Asians supported, by the government, held dominant
positions in the service. When Africans were hired,
they took surbodinate positions. Racial discrimination
was also reflected in housing arrangements, salaries,
and other terms and conditions of service. Salaries
and other conditions of service for Europeans and
Asians continued to improve while those of Africans
deteriorated.
In 1927, Africans, in the colonial civil
service, formed, K.A.C.S.A. to fight for better terms
and conditions of service. K.A.C.S.A. set its
headquarters in Nairohi, in 1927, and slowly established
branches in major towns in the colony such as, Mombasa,
Kisumu, Eldoret, Kitale, Nakuru, Nyeri and Kisii.
Similarly, Europeans and Asians had early, in 1918
formed their Associations, namely, Europeah Civil
Servants Association and Asian Civil Servant
Association. These associations were always
antagonistic to each other.
By 1933, K.A.C.S.A. begun to assert itself
taking up complaints of various kinds on behalf of
its members. These complaints were about, poor
salaries, poor housing, poor medical facilities,
victimisation and dismissal from the service.
To fight for better terms of service, for
its members, the K.A.C.S.A. sought audience with the
Office of the Chief Secretary, the Governor, Director
of Establishment and the Chief Native Commissioner.
Sometimes, K.A.C.S.A. would send memoranda, to the
colonial office seeking an 'impartial' royal commission
to review their terms and conditions of service. Other
methods of expressing dissafection with the colonial
government was through boycotts and protests over
poor terms of service.
It had limited success before 1960s.
Consequently, K.A.C.S.A. merged its interests with
that of a wider labour movement (Kenya Federation
of Labour - K.F.L.), African politicians, some whom
had been members of the Association, and helped
to Africanize the civil service in the independent
transition period. The desire, among the K.A.C.S.A's
members, (later Kenya Civil Servants Union - K.C.S.U),
and some African politicians, to increase African
opportunity in the civil service and decrease external
influence was (seen as) a 'natural' extension of
African nationalism. In pursuing such ends,
K.A.C.S.A. later K.C.S.U., participated in promoting
a situation where Africans would have greater
control over their destiny. Consequently, African
Civil Servants contributed to the preparation for
Kenya's transition from a colony to an independent
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