Karibu Kenya

Because money as we know it today did not exist, any exchange of domestic production was done predominantly on a barter form of arrangement. Trade with the outside world was almost non-existent except for some Asian and Arab traders along the coast. The construction of the Uganda Railway and the coming to Kenya of the white settlers at the beginning of the 20th century marked a major development in the Kenyan economy. The settlers introduced plantation agriculture, the main crops including, coffee, tea, sisal, wheat and pyrethrum. The settlers also introduced livestock ranching. .
             The settlers needed labour to work on their plantations. This labour was expected to be provided by the indigenous population. However, as the concept of wage employment was alien to them, they did not avail themselves for employment in the settlers' farms. In order to mobilize the African labour force, the colonial government then introduced a head tax that was payable by all African household heads. Since the African peoples were not allowed to engage in cash crop farming, to pay this tax they had perforce to seek wage employment. .
             Another notable development during this period was the establishment of trading, other service industries and manufacturing. Accompanying these developments was the introduction of money and banking. However, the non-agricultural industries did not show much expansion because during the colonial period the emphasis was on the production of primary agricultural commodities, which were needed as raw materials for industries in Europe. .
             The colonial government developed, in a limited way, road, telephone and postal networks to supplement the railway line. In conjunction with the missionaries it also established medical and educational facilities. This infrastructural and human development was, however, essentially intended to achieve the rather narrow objective of serving the colonial government and the settler community.