Towards an Objective Account of Nutrition and Health in Colonial Kenya: A Study of Stature in African Army Recruits and Civilians, 1880-1980

How well did Kenyans do under colonial rule? It is common sense that Kenyans suffered under exploitative colonial policies. The overall impact, however, is uncertain. This study presents fresh evidence on nutrition and health in colonial Kenya by (1) using a new and comprehensive data set of African army recruits and civilians and (2) applying a powerful measure of nutritional status: mean population height. Findings demonstrate huge regional inequalities but only minor changes in the mean height of cohorts born 20 years before and after colonisation. From 1920 onwards secular improvements took place which continued after Independence. It can be concluded that however bad colonial policies and devastating short term crises were, the net outcome of colonial times was a significant progress in nutrition and health. Acknowledgments I am grateful to the Kenyan Armed Forces, Defence Headquarters, Ulinzi House, Nairobi, Chief of General Staff for granting me access to records of the King’s African Rifles. I thank Peterson Kithuka, Maureen Were and Jacinta Sikali for excellent research assistance in Nairobi. I am also grateful to Abigail Barr, Francesco Cinnirella, Xerxes Malki, Deborah Oxley, Timothy Parsons, and Marco Sunder for valuable comments. I am very much indebted to Swati Mylavarapu, who arranged funding and coordinated field work in Kenya. Data collection was funded by the African Research Program at Harvard University, and their financial support is gratefully acknowledged. The usual disclaimer applies.