In 1924 Norman Leys shocked liberals by revealing the truth about settler colonialism in a best-selling book called, simply, Kenya. He showed that settler colonialism had nothing to do with a civilising mission but meant the ruthless exploitation of African forced labour. In 1910 he had exposed the duplicity of the Governor of Kenya in moving the Maasai out of their traditional land to make way for settlers. The Governor was forced to resign. Leys was demoted and exiled. Leys campaigned tirelessly to try to change public opinion in Britain. He exposed the racism behind popular support for the settlers and was prepared to accept the unpopularity this caused.
The book tells the story of what made a medical doctor a champion of African liberation decades before it was fashionable, and why he had the impact he had. With a Foreword by Paul Gilroy, two maps and one photos. Annexes present selected original texts.
Foreword
Introduction
1.
The making of an awkward customer
2.
Encountering imperialism
3.
Discovering settler colonialism
4.
Exile, war and reflection
5.
Brailsford
6.
Writing Kenya
7.
The problem of
phariseeism
8.
The difficult years
9.
The verdict of history
10.
Intellectual legacy
11.
The man himself
Endnotes
Appendices:
1.
The letter to the Colonial Secretary (1918)
2.
The Problems of East Africa (1919)
3.
Preface to the Third Edition of Kenya (1926)
4.
African Mentality (1931)
Authors
note and acknowledgments
Index
Colin Leys has spent most of his working life studying African development, including ten years researching and teaching in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. His books on Africa include Underdevelopment in Kenya, Namibias Liberation Struggle (with John Saul), and The Rise and Fall of Development Theory. He is an emeritus professor at Queens University, Canada.
