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History Quiz - Britain: Kenyan Independence - How Britain Dealt With The Issue (Questions)

In GCSE History students will learn about the British Empire. One aspect that they will study is how Britain dealt with the issue of Kenyan independence.

After the Second World War Britain encouraged its people to move to its Kenyan colony, but African nationalist pressure in the 1950's and 1960's had to be dealt with. When Kenya set out on the road to independence the future of the whites there seemed less secure.

Play this quiz and learn more about how Britain dealt with the issue of Kenyan independence.

1. 30,000 white settlers were concentrated in an upland area north west of Kenya's capital, Nairobi. What name was given to this area of fertile farmland?
[ ] The Aberdares
[ ] Happy Valley
[ ] The White Highlands
[ ] The Rift Valley
2. Which tribe felt particularly strongly that they had a right to white settler land in this region?
[ ] Luo
[ ] Kalenjin
[ ] Kikuyu
[ ] Meru
3. Which African figure was regarded by the British as the chief culprit in stirring up unrest over the land question?
[ ] Tom Mboya
[ ] Jomo Kenyatta
[ ] Oginga Odinga
[ ] Daniel Arap Moi
4. What name was given to the African movement which gripped the white-settled area of the colony between 1952 and 1956?
[ ] Mau Mau
[ ] The African National Congress
[ ] Freedom Fighters' League
[ ] The Kenyan Land League
5. Some whites favoured compromise with African nationalist demands. One such group was led by Sir Michael Blundell. What was his party's name?
[ ] Kenya's Future
[ ] Kenya Forward
[ ] The New Kenya Group
[ ] Kenya Coalition
6. A powerful African party emerged in Kenya after the constitutional conference in London in 1960. This party eventually took power in Kenya on the eve of independence. What was it called?
[ ] The Kenya African People's Union
[ ] The Kenya African National Union
[ ] The Kenyan People's Union
[ ] The Kenyan African Independence Union
7. There was however an opposition group - an alternative African nationalist party, deriving its support from a different combination of tribal groups. What was it called?
[ ] The Kenya African Democratic Union
[ ] The Kenya Democratic Union
[ ] The Kenya People's Democratic Union
[ ] The Kenya National Liberation Front
8. Which Kenyan trade union leader, and author of "Facing Mount Kenya", was assassinated in 1969?
[ ] Ernest Mwatele
[ ] Silas Watube
[ ] Tom Mboya
[ ] Williams Matai
9. When did Kenya receive its independence as a member of the Commonwealth?
[ ] December 1962
[ ] December 1961
[ ] December 1963
[ ] December 1964
10. Eventually Kenya became a republic, recognising Britain's Queen only as Head of the Commonwealth, of which Kenya continued to be a member. In which year did this happen?
[ ] 1963
[ ] 1965
[ ] 1964
[ ] 1966
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History Quiz - Britain: Kenyan Independence - How Britain Dealt With The Issue (Answers)
1. 30,000 white settlers were concentrated in an upland area north west of Kenya's capital, Nairobi. What name was given to this area of fertile farmland?
[ ] The Aberdares
[ ] Happy Valley
[x] The White Highlands
[ ] The Rift Valley
Large and successful farms were set up: some arable and some dedicated to raising cattle. Unfortunately for the security of white settlers many local African tribespeople regarded this land as theirs
2. Which tribe felt particularly strongly that they had a right to white settler land in this region?
[ ] Luo
[ ] Kalenjin
[x] Kikuyu
[ ] Meru
The land issue became a serious bone of contention by the 1950's
3. Which African figure was regarded by the British as the chief culprit in stirring up unrest over the land question?
[ ] Tom Mboya
[x] Jomo Kenyatta
[ ] Oginga Odinga
[ ] Daniel Arap Moi
The authorities were anxious to arrest a principal figure in the hope that unrest would then die down
4. What name was given to the African movement which gripped the white-settled area of the colony between 1952 and 1956?
[x] Mau Mau
[ ] The African National Congress
[ ] Freedom Fighters' League
[ ] The Kenyan Land League
The emergency lasted for four years, and many thousands of African suspects were arrested. Some were tortured, even mutilated
5. Some whites favoured compromise with African nationalist demands. One such group was led by Sir Michael Blundell. What was his party's name?
[ ] Kenya's Future
[ ] Kenya Forward
[x] The New Kenya Group
[ ] Kenya Coalition
Most white settlers opposed concessions to the African majority, but Blundell believed that compromise was possible
6. A powerful African party emerged in Kenya after the constitutional conference in London in 1960. This party eventually took power in Kenya on the eve of independence. What was it called?
[ ] The Kenya African People's Union
[x] The Kenya African National Union
[ ] The Kenyan People's Union
[ ] The Kenyan African Independence Union
After 1960 Kenyan independence under African rule seemed inevitable
7. There was however an opposition group - an alternative African nationalist party, deriving its support from a different combination of tribal groups. What was it called?
[x] The Kenya African Democratic Union
[ ] The Kenya Democratic Union
[ ] The Kenya People's Democratic Union
[ ] The Kenya National Liberation Front
After independence this party was soon sidelined
8. Which Kenyan trade union leader, and author of "Facing Mount Kenya", was assassinated in 1969?
[ ] Ernest Mwatele
[ ] Silas Watube
[x] Tom Mboya
[ ] Williams Matai
Kenyan politics was robust - reinforced by strong tribal divisions
9. When did Kenya receive its independence as a member of the Commonwealth?
[ ] December 1962
[ ] December 1961
[x] December 1963
[ ] December 1964
Initially Kenya remained a monarchy with the British monarch as Head of State
10. Eventually Kenya became a republic, recognising Britain's Queen only as Head of the Commonwealth, of which Kenya continued to be a member. In which year did this happen?
[ ] 1963
[ ] 1965
[x] 1964
[ ] 1966
Kenya remained a close ally of Britain's