| dc.description.abstract | The idea of Afro-Asian solidarity was a sign of the emerging trends in relations between India and Kenya. Afro-Asian resurgence, on the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)^principle of collective self-reliance is the major determinant of India-Kenya relations, based on south-south cooperation as a guiding principle of interactions between developing countries. These age-old ties between Kenya and India, coupled with a rather historical accident of sharing the British colonial rule, show that Kenya is among India’s closest friends in Africa. In the early 19th Century when imperialism was rife, the British colonialists set a base in Mombasa and laid the foundation of the present-day Kenya-Uganda railway. This was done with the assistance of the Indians. These people were imported from India and despite the difficulties they encountered, especially at Tsavo where many lost their lives to man-eaters, they finally reached Nairobi, where they settled and set up dukas(shops)^while others continued to major towns in Kenya such as Nakuru and Kisumu. In these towns too, the Banyanis from Gujarat, India, managed to set up small-scale businesses with help from the local people. After the completion of the Kenya-Uganda railway in^1901, most Indians returned home while a small number remained behind and quickly embarked on commerce across the country. The relationship between India and Kenya is characterized by close economic and political ties since time immemorial. Trade links between the two countries strengthened after Kenya gained independence in 1963. A significant increase in the volume of trade was noticed in the 1980s, following the signing of India-Kenya Trade Agreement in March 1981.This Agreement accorded each other the most favored nation status. Since the introduction of economic liberalization in both the countries during the 1990s, the trade volume has experienced a further growth. On the political front, the father of Indian freedom movement, Mahatma Gandhi started his campaign against the British rule in the African Continent. Gandhi, and later India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, had a strong bond of friendship and affinity towards the people of Africa. It is therefore, noteworthy that after India’s independence in 1947, the Indian leadership and people did not forget Africa. They made the liberation of Africa as a whole and Kenya in particular, one of the main planks of their foreign policy and worked actively to achieve this goal. Their crusade against colonialism, racial discrimination and exploitation was, therefore, reflective of their keen desire to see Africa freed from the colonial yoke. Other factors that have influenced the evolution of India-Kenya relations include, geographical proximity across the Indian Ocean, which brings them together and gives India an advantage over its trading rivals. Kenya’s economic and trading requirements which make India the ideal source of goods and technology transfers and the important role of Kenyans of Indian origin, in the development and consolidation of these relations. Above all, the countries enjoy an overall shared perspective on international affairs, especially in the context of south-south Cooperation. | |
