The Kenya People's Union (KPU) was a

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

political party in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

led by

Oginga Odinga Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga (October 1911 – 20 January 1994) was a Luo chieftain who became a prominent figure in Kenya's struggle for independence. He later served as Kenya's first Vice-President, and thereafter as opposition leader. Odinga ...

. The party was banned in 1969.

History

Formation

In March 1966 a left-wing faction of the governing

Kenya African National Union The Kenya African National Union (KANU) is a Kenyan political party that ruled for nearly 40 years after Kenya's independence from British colonial rule in 1963 until its electoral loss in 2002. It was known as Kenya African Union (KAU) from 194 ...

(KANU) instigated a mass defection from the party and formed the KPU. KANU responded by amending Kenya's constitution to force a ' little general election' in June 1966. All MPs who defected to the KPU were nominated by the party to contest their seats. The KPU had wide support in the country with most districts having a KPU MP, although they were strongest amongst the

Luo people The Luo of Kenya and Tanzania are a Nilotic ethnic group native to western Kenya and the Mara Region of northern Tanzania in East Africa. The Luo are the fourth-largest ethnic group (10.65%) in Kenya, after the Kikuyu (17.13%), the Luhya ( ...

in Nyanza province. Candidates in then

Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language. It may also refer to: * Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya *Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people *Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Cent ...

-dominated Central province were trounced by KANU.Abner Cohen
Urban Ethnicity
Routledge, 2004.

Harassment

The state, dominated by the KANU party, employed many tactics to disrupt the KPU. local employees were pressured into dismissing any staff who supported the KPU. This led to the dismissal of over 35 civil servants with others demoted. Additionally, passports were seized for KPU members so as to stop their international travel whilst also forcing companies to dismiss any KPU supporting employees. Three years of political harassment and detention of party leaders followed that ultimately brought about the end of the party. The New Nyanza General Hospital was opened on October 25, 1969 which the president

Jomo Kenyatta Jomo Kenyatta (22 August 1978) was a Kenyan anti-colonial activist and politician who governed Kenya as its Prime Minister from 1963 to 1964 and then as its first President from 1964 to his death in 1978. He was the country's first indigenous ...

was not excited about as it was built with

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

money and seen as Odinga's project. Kenyatta did, however, lead the opening ceremonies of the hospital to boost his popularity in

Nyanza Province Nyanza Province (; sw, Mkoa wa Nyanza) was one of Kenya's Provinces of Kenya, eight administrative provinces before the formation of the Counties of Kenya, 47 counties under the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 constitution. Six counties were organis ...

. The

Luo Luo may refer to: Luo peoples and languages *Luo peoples, an ethno-linguistic group of eastern and central Africa **Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania or Joluo, an ethnic group in western Kenya, eastern Uganda, and northern Tanzania. *** Luoland, th ...

's were generally hostile towards as

Tom Mboya Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya (15August 19305July 1969) was a Kenyan trade unionist, educator, Pan-Africanist, author, independence activist, and statesman. He was one of the founding fathers of the Republic of Kenya.Kenya Human Rights Commissio ...

had been murdered few months earlier, with many fingers pointing at Kenyatta. Riots opened at the opening ceremonies, when KPU supporters attacked Kenyatta's entourage. What followed is now often referred to as the Kisumu massacre. Over 10 people were killed, by official accounts, as Kenyatta's security personnel opened a fire against the demonstrators. Odinga and several other KPU officials were arrested two days after the incident.

Dissolution

was placed under house arrest on 29 October 1969, after violent anti-government demonstrations in Kisumu. His arrest, as well as other KPU MPs and officials, led to the storming of the Kenyan embassy in Moscow by Kenyan students. The KPU was banned on October 30, 1969, claiming that the KPU and all its branches were "dangerous to the good governments of the Republic of Kenya" and that the KPU had become "more subversive both in its nature and in its objectives". This action transformed Kenya into a de facto one-party state.Daily Nation, October 23, 2009
The incident that transformed Kenya into a de facto one-party state
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KPU politicians

The following politicians were affiliated with KPU. In the parenthesis is the constituency they represented.Center for Multiparty Democracy
Politics and Parliamentarians in Kenya 1944–2007
*

Ochola Ogaye Mak'Anyengo Ochola Ogaye Mak'Anyengo, also known as George Philip Ochola (1930–1990) was a Kenyan trade unionist and Member of Parliament for Ndhiwa, South Nyanza, Kenya.Makers of a nation. Ochola Mak'Anyengo the men and women in Kenya's history. DVD, V ...

* Okuto Bala ( Nyando) * Ondiek Chilo ( Nyakach) *

Bildad Kaggia Bildad Mwaganu Kaggia (1921 – 7 March 2005) was a Kenyan nationalist, activist, and politician. Kaggia was a member of the Mau Mau Central Committee. After independence he became a Member of Parliament. He established himself as a militant, fi ...

(

Kandara Kandara is a town in Muranga County, Kenya. Kandara is located 10 kilometres south of Kigumo and 30 kilometres north of Thika. Kandara hosts a town council with a population of 28,840 (1999 census ). Kandara town council has four civic wards: G ...

) * Luke Rarieya Obok ( Alego) * John Odero-Sar ( Ugenya) *

( Bondo) * Tom Okello-Odongo ( Kisumu Rural) * George Fredrick Oduya ( Elgon West) *

Achieng Oneko Ramogi Achieng Oneko (1920–2007) was a Kenyan freedom fighter and a politician. In Kenya, he is considered as a national hero. He was born in Tieng'a village in Uyoma sub-location in Bondo District in 1920 and educated at Maseno School. Det ...

( Nakuru Town) * Joseph Mwasia Nthula ( Iveti South) * Wasonga Sijeyo (

Gem A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...

)

References

{{Authority control Defunct political parties in Kenya Political parties established in 1966 Socialism in Kenya Socialist parties in Africa Political parties disestablished in 1969 1966 establishments in Kenya 1969 disestablishments in Kenya