The Kenya Indian Congress (KIC) was a political party in Kenya.

History

The party was established at a meeting on 7 March 1914 as the East African Indian National Congress (EAINC), and initially aimed to represent Indian interests across British East Africa, although it largely focussed on Kenya.Robert G. Gregory (1992) ''The Rise and Fall of Philanthropy in East Africa: The Asian's Contribution'', Transaction Publishers, p45 It called for equality between

Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

and

Europeans Europeans are the focus of European ethnology, the field of anthropology related to the various ethnic groups that reside in the states of Europe. Groups may be defined by common genetic ancestry, common language, or both. Pan and Pfeil (2004) ...

, advocating the inclusion of Indians on the same roll as Europeans in elections and that Asians be allowed to farm in the White Highlands.Robert M. Maxon & Thomas P. Ofcansky (2014) ''Historical Dictionary of Kenya'', Rowman & Littlefield, p83 The EAINC encouraged Indian immigration to Kenya, and became involved in humanitarian work in the 1930s, providing aid to victims of disaster in India and other countries in the region. The party failed in an attempt to form an alliance with the

Kenya African Union The Kenya African Union (KAU) was a political organization devoted to achieving independence for British Kenya. In 1960 it became the current Kenya African National Union (KANU). Formation The Kenya African Union was founded in 1944 under the nam ...

in 1950, but the two combined to oppose plans by the Elector's Union to maintain European control of the colony. The organisation was renamed the Kenya Indian Congress (KIC) in 1952 after Indians in Tanganyika formed the Asian Association. In 1960 the

Kenya Freedom Party The Kenya Freedom Party (KFP) was a political party in Kenya. History The Kenya Freedom Party was established in February 1960 by Indians including Chanan Singh who felt that the Kenya Indian Congress (KIC) was no sufficiently supportive of ind ...

(KFP) was formed by a group of Indians who believed that the KIC was not sufficiently supportive of independence. General elections the following year saw the KIC win three of the 53 elected seats in the Legislative Council with 1.2% of the vote, whilst the KFP won two seats. At its annual meeting in 1962, the KIC opted to dissolve itself as a political party as it was "no longer desirable to function politically as an Asian organisation."Sana Aiyar (2015) ''Indians in Kenya'', Harvard University Press, p238

References

{{Authority control Defunct political parties in Kenya 1914 establishments in Kenya Political parties established in 1914 1962 disestablishments in Kenya Political parties disestablished in 1962 Indian diaspora in Kenya