1961 - Jomo Kenyatta Freed: The Catalyst for Kenya’s Final Push to Independence

On May 12, 1961, Jomo Kenyatta—Kenya’s foremost nationalist leader and anti-colonial activist—was officially released from colonial restriction after nearly a decade of imprisonment and exile imposed by the British government. Though partially freed in 1959, he had been confined under severe restrictions. His full release marked a turning point in Kenya\’s path to independence. Kenyatta had been accused of masterminding the Mau Mau uprising, a militant resistance against colonial rule, and was imprisoned without clear evidence. His release on this date reignited momentum for constitutional negotiations and positioned him as the unifying leader of the Kenya African National Union (KANU). Few outside East Africa recognize how this specific date symbolized Britain’s crumbling grip on its colonies and heralded a new chapter in Pan-African leadership. Within two years, Kenyatta became the first Prime Minister of an independent Kenya, shaping the country’s identity and the broader African liberation movement.