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Independent Group (Kenya)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Independent Group of Members of the Legislative Council was a right-wing political party in Kenya.

History

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Led by Llewellyn Briggs,[1] the Independent Group was a European party that called for ministerial positions to be awarded without consideration for the racial makeup of the cabinet, using the slogan "Merit and Ability",[2] effectively seeking to exclude Africans from government.[3] It nominated ten candidates for the fourteen European seats in the 1956 general elections, winning eight of them.[4][5]

In August 1959 Briggs formed the United Party, bringing together the Independent Group with former members of the Federal Independence Party,[2][6] which had failed to win a seat in the 1956 elections.

References

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  1. ^ Richard Hughes (2003) Capricorn: David Stirling's African Campaign, The Radcliffe Press, p180
  2. ^ a b Kenya from Mau Mau to Independence Michael Farquhar
  3. ^ William Ernest Frank Ward (1963) A History of Africa: Egypt and the Sudan. Uganda. Kenya. Tanganyika, Allen & Unwin, p181
  4. ^ "Results of the General Election in Kenya", East Africa and Rhodesia, 4 October 1956, p150
  5. ^ "General Election in Kenya: Comments in the Press", East Africa and Rhodesia, 11 October 1956, p186
  6. ^ George Bennett & Carl Gustav Rosberg (1961) The Kenyatta Election: Kenya 1960-1961, Oxford University Press, p16