'Not quickly cleansed' Bids for Freedom by Former Slaves in Mombasa and the Coastal Strip of Kenya

Farah, Feisal

Abstract

My research deals with slavery and its legacies in Mombasa, Kenya. The ethnic tensions that exist today in Mombasa have their roots in two historical legacies, slavery and colonialism. Seeds of inequalities planted during those two periods still dictate social tensions on the coast of Kenya today, particularly the city of Mombasa. Since the coming of multiparty politics to Kenya in 1992, issues of ethnic identities and land issues have also come to the foreground, sometimes erupting into violent riots. Ethnic tensions in Mombasa are made complex by the presence of an underclass or under‐caste, people with slave ancestry background. My research examines class, ethnic and racial tensions by examining the two legacies, slavery and the colonialism, and their impact on people with slave ancestry in Mombasa. Therefore, this research will explore the different mechanisms and strategies used by former masters to hold on to their privileges during the colonial period in Mombasa. Furthermore, it will examine how stigmatized status has survived to our present time. The thesis also shows another aspect of British colonialism when dealing with Islam in East Africa. The research will raise several questions. First, what is the impact of colonial racial, labour and tax policies on ex‐slave communities in Mombasa? How did the elites use Islam to control their former slaves? What was the role of Swahili cultural hegemony in putting former slaves in “in their Place” during the colonial period? My research will demonstrate that the abolition of the legal status of slavery by the colonial rulers did not drastically alter the nature of dependency, power and authority of former Swahili and Arab slave‐owners on the coast Kenya.

Citation

Farah, F. 'Not quickly cleansed' Bids for Freedom by Former Slaves in Mombasa and the Coastal Strip of Kenya. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4571172

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Mar 4, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 12, 2024
• Keywords: History ; Slavery
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4571172
• Additional Information: Wilberforce Institute; University of Hull
• Award Date: Nov 7, 2023