Kenya: Pressure Groups and Trades Unions Material

This material is held atInstitute of Commonwealth Studies Library, University of London

Scope and Content

Constitutions, membership lists, newsletters, pamphlets and posters, 1952-1989, issued by the Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya), the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners in Kenya, the Institute for Education in Democracy (Kenya), the Kenya Citizens' Association, the Kenya Pressure Group, the Nairobi African Advisory Council and the Voice of Kenya.

Administrative / Biographical History

A significant number of the materials held here are British in origin, and include both the publications of human rights pressure groups campaigning for the release of political prisoners during the presidency of Daniel Arap Moi, and the Voice of Kenya newsletter which presented the viewpoint of the European population of Kenya at the time of the Mau Mau freedom movement in the 1950s. Organisations concerned with the pre-independence constitutional debates and with the demand for increased democracy in the 1980s are also represented, and there is also a constitution originating from the main Kenyan trade union federation.

Arrangement

Alphabetically by organisation, and then in rough chronological order.

Access Information

Open to all for research purposes; access is free for anyone in higher education.

Acquisition Information

Institute of Commonwealth Studies

Other Finding Aids

Records at item level on library catalogue (SASCAT)

Archivist's Note

Description compiled by Daniel Millum, Political Archives Project Officer at the Institutes of Commonwealth and Latin American Studies.

Conditions Governing Use

Copies can usually be obtained - apply to library staff.

Custodial History

The Commonwealth Political Parties Materials collection was begun in 1960-61, with special emphasis being placed then, as now, on "primary material such as party constitutions, policy statements, convention reports and election manifestos." (ICS, Twelfth Annual Report 1960-1961). Since then, the main method of gathering material has been to appeal directly to political parties throughout the Commonwealth, though contributions from Institute members and staff following visits to relevant countries have been significant.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected at present.

Related Material

See also Kenya: Political Parties Material (PP.KE) and Political Party, Trades Unions and Pressure Group Materials for other Commonwealth countries and related material in the library's main classified sequence, all held at the ICS.