An Examination on the Contribution of the Kenya-Uganda Railway to the Development of Eldama Ravine Town in the Colonial Period, 1895-1963

Abstract

This paper reveals the facts that surround foundations of urbanization and city development in colonial Kenya. With pre and pasts events of historical reviews, there are specific examples from Eldama Ravine that shows contribution of Kenya-Uganda railway towards colonial growth. The article describes the reasons, pattern, and consequences of colonial rail road in the town under study. The main objective of the paper was to investigate the contribution of the Kenya-Uganda railway towards development of Eldama Ravine town during colonial period (1895 -1963). The paper gives a brief summary of the main features of Kenya's colonial times in the region. It then explores the work of white settlers within Kenya's context and analyses the impact of colonial conquest in relation to building of the famous Kenya-Uganda railway with the imposition of colonial and local administrative boundaries. The study examined further that there are significant lasting impacts of colonial rail in terms of economic development of the town. The major argument advanced here was the progression of development in Kenya caused by construction of railway in determined by the colonial and post-colonial activities on social economic processes. The study adopted descriptive and fact-finding approach, literature review and deduction of archival and documentary resources, supplemented by historical evidence from case studies. The article traced, analyzed and described the historic path of development events during colonial period in Eldama Ravine, Kenya since the inception of Kenya-Uganda railway in 1895, and runs through the various planning episodes of 1895 to 1963.