The Press FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1963. Kenya Election

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30145, 31 May 1963, Page 10

The Press FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1963. Kenya Election

Intense. tribal rivalries, boundary disputes, a complicated new c nstitution, fragmentation of economic farms for land settlement, and serious economic problems face Kenya as it emerges into self-govern-ment under a man who was convicted and banished only a few years ago for managing the Mau Mau. Yet Mr Jomo Kenyatta and his successful Kenya African National Union, representing the dominant Kikuyu and Luo tribes, seem best fitted to lead Kenya from tribalism to nationalism, if it can be done. K.A.N.U. is the biggest, richest, and most militant party and it has a strong pan-African outlook. Its manifesto was' surprisingly moderate, emphasising welfare and economic needs and even a halt to the fragmentation of the White Highlands farms before constitutional changes. It appears to have won control not only of the 117 seats in the Central Assembly, but also of most of the regional assemblies, seven of which were drawn in the new constitution in an attempt to prevent Kikuyu-Luo domination of the other major tribal parties—the Kenya African Democratic Union and the African People’s Party. Clearly the support for K.A.N.U. outside predominantly Kikuyu and Luo areas is greater than had been expected. The constitution is said to be the most complicated ever devised; and Mr Kenyatta has some ground for declaring the regions unmanageable and uneconomic. Each would have its own capital, assembly (two regions have no town for a capital nor buildings for an assembly), treasury, and civil service drawn from the meagre pool of trained civil servants in the country. Had K.A.D.U. won control of the regions, there would have been a bitter clash over Mr Kenyatta’s stated

intention of centralising government. K.A.N.U. control may enable a smoother constitutional change, though Britain will need to be assured that Mr Kenyatta is not attempting to entrench himself permanently before it grants independence, possibly within a year. Complicating the regional issue is the Somali area in the north, which was to form a separate region. The Somalis boycotted the election because they wish to accede to Somalia. Somalia supports the secession movement, bat both Ethiopia and K.A.N.U. oppose it Any decision on the future of the Somali north will be invidious; but indecision or outright denial of the right to secede might provoke serious tribal fighting. If Mr Kenyatta dan solve this problem before achieving independence, the merging of the other six regions with the central government may seem a less intractable problem. Mr Kenyatta has defined his policy, somewhat loosely, as “ democratic African “ socialism ”. An ideological base for K.A.N.U. would certainly be preferable to the present tribal base and would offer the best chance of unifying the country. Much will depend on how rapidly, with slender resources, the new Government can improve living standards. If national identity is to supersede the tribal outlook, Kenya may not, as many observers expect, leap into the mainstream of pan-Africanism as soon as independence is declared. Tanganyika. Uganda, and Kenya might form an East African Federation, which would be the first major step towards a United States of Africa. But if Mr Kenyatta’s election pledges ar® sincere, he will attempt to build Kenya’s economy and national life before seeking a place in larger groupings. It is a tall enough order.