New Kenya Party Explained

The New Kenya Party was a political party in Kenya.

History

With encouragement from Governor Evelyn Baring and Secretary of State for the Colonies Alan Lennox-Boyd, the New Kenya Group was established on 2 April 1959 by Michael Blundell.[1] [2] It was the first multi-racial political party in Kenya, and was founded to counter African nationalism and European conservatism.[2] In response, Llewellyn Briggs set up the United Party in August 1959, which opposed common-roll elections, but was defunct by the end of 1960.[3]

In 1960 it became the New Kenya Party, which called for independence with a multiracial coalition government.[2] In the 1961 general elections the party received 3.2% of the vote, winning four of the 53 elected seats in the Legislative Council, and joined the coalition government led by the Kenya African Democratic Union.[4]

The party was dissolved in 1963.[4]

Notes and References

  1. News: Obituary: Sir Michael Blundell. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-sir-michael-blundell-1471953.html . 2022-06-18 . subscription . live. Johnson. John. 19 February 1993. The Independent. 22 January 2016.
  2. Robert M. Maxon & Thomas P. Ofcansky (2014) Historical Dictionary of Kenya, Rowman & Littlefield, p254
  3. Maxon & Ofcansky, p339
  4. Maxon & Ofcansky, p255