Jomo Kenyatta

About Jomo Kenyatta

The first President of independent Kenya. Kenyatta led Kenya to independence from Britain in 1963. He had been imprisoned by the colonial government for nearly a decade on charges of leading the Mau Mau rebellion. As president, Kenyatta pursued a moderate capitalist economic policy and maintained ties with the West. His rule became increasingly authoritarian. Kenyatta died in office in 1978. His son Uhuru Kenyatta later served as president from 2013 to 2022. The main international airport in Nairobi is named after him.