Uhuru was established in 1974 as a Co-Operative, which set up a small cafe selling vegetarian food and crafts from Tanzania. It was situated at 35 Cowley Road, Cowley, Oxford. The name "Uhuru", which means "freedom" in Swahili, was chosen because several African countries were gaining their independence at the time. As well as selling crafts, Uhuru started an early fair trade movement with a campaign entitled The World in Your Coffee Cup. Nearer to home, Uhuru was involved in various social issues, including establishing the East Oxford Community Centre, charities for the homeless and, in later years, women's aid.
Uhuru later acquired the property at 48 Cowley Road and converted it to a shop selling wholefoods, where it remains today. The cafe continued and also became a resource centre housing voluntary groups such as Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Rape Crisis and the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard. Oxford Vegetarians also held several meetings at the cafe during this period.
Eventually, the running of both the café and the shop became too much, and Uhuru sold the building to the Oxford City Council on the understanding that it would continue to be used as a Women's Centre. The Women's Centre took over the running of the café, and opened every Saturday selling vegetarian food.
(Part of the above information was taken from a website about Uhuru written by Annette Mngxitama).