Kenya Coalition

The Kenya Coalition was a political party in Kenya.

History

The Kenya Coalition was established by Ferdinand Cavendish-Bentinck in March 1960.[1] Earlier in the month Cavendish-Bentinck had resigned as Speaker of the Legislative Council due to his opposition to the outcome of the Lancaster House Conference.[2]

The party sought to defend the interests of Europeans, including the continued segregation of the school system.[2] It received the backing of the United Party, which had been formed to oppose the multiracial New Kenya Party in 1959; the United Party was dissolved by the end of 1960.[3]

In the 1961 general elections the party was very successful in the European-only primary elections,[2] winning eight of the nine seats it contested.[4] However, it only prevented the New Kenya Party from reaching the main elections in three constituencies.[4] In the full elections the Kenya Coalition received only 1% of the vote, winning three of the 53 elected seats in the Legislative Council to the New Kenya Party's four. After taking part in constitutional negotiations, it collapsed in 1963.[1]

References

1. Robert M. Maxon & Thomas P. Ofcansky (2014) Historical Dictionary of Kenya, Rowman & Littlefield, p44
2. Maxon & Ofcansky, p164
3. Maxon & Ofcansky, p339
4. Robert L. Tignor (2015) Capitalism and Nationalism at the End of Empire: State and Business in Decolonizing Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya, 1945-1963, Princeton University Press, p369