Indians in Kenya
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Nairobi, Mombasa | |
| Languages | |
|
Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Hindustani, Odia (native languages) English, Swahili (working languages) |
|
| Religion | |
| Hinduism · Islam · Sikhism · Christianity · Jainism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin and other Indo-Aryan peoples |
Indians in Kenya (also referred to as Kenyan Asians) are citizens and residents of Kenya with ancestral roots in the Indian subcontinent. Most are found in the major urban areas of Nairobi and Mombasa, with others living in rural areas.
In Kenya, the word "Asian" usually refers specifically to people of South Asian ancestry (Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans). Prior to the partition of India those of south Asian ancestry were referred to as Indians, however post 1947 the term Asian also starting being used.
There is evidence of a well-established trade network between India and the Swahili Coast that predates European exploration, as evidenced by the (by most accounts) Gujarati sailor that guided Vasco da Gama in 1497 from Malindi, where the sailor managed a trading operation, to what would become known as Goa, one place in India where goods were brought back.
Indian migration to modern day Kenya began with the construction of the Uganda railway between 1896 and 1901 when some 32,000 indentured labourers were recruited from British India. Construction of the railway was a remarkable engineering feat; however, approximately 2,500 labourers died during construction (about four deaths for each mile of track laid) and the project was notorious for the Tsavo maneaters.
Once the railway was completed, many of these labourers voluntarily settled in what was then the East Africa Protectorate and brought family from India. The early Asian settlers were predominantly from the Indian provinces of Gujarat and the Punjab and quickly embraced the opportunities available in the new British territory. The railway opened the interior to trade, and many soon began migrating away from the coastal cities. Most settled in the new town of Nairobi, which had been the capital of the British protectorate since 1905. Unlike black Africans, Asians were permitted to reside legally in Nairobi in what was then a burgeoning white settler town.
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Wikipedia