Mboya, Tom

Mboya, Tom
orig. Thomas Joseph Mboya

born Aug. 15, 1930, Kilima Mbogo, near Nairobi, Kenya
died July 5, 1969, Nairobi

Kenyan political leader.

During the Mau Mau rebellion (1952–56) and the period leading up to Kenyan independence (1963), the Oxford-educated Mboya headed the Kenya Federation of Labour. In 1960 he helped found the dominant Kenyan African National Union Party (KANU). After independence he served in top administrative posts in Jomo Kenyatta's government. His assassination in 1969 shocked the nation and exacerbated tensions between the dominant Kikuyu and other ethnic groups, especially Mboya's own Luo.

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▪ Kenyan politician
in full  Thomas Joseph Mboya  
born Aug. 15, 1930, Kilima Mbogo, near Nairobi, Kenya
died July 5, 1969, Nairobi

      major political leader in Kenya until his assassination six years after his country had achieved independence.

      A member of the Luo people and a graduate of mission schools, Mboya first worked as a sanitary inspector in Nairobi and almost immediately became involved in the nascent Kenyan trade-union movement. He was a key nationalist figure in the days of the Mau Mau rebellion by the Kikuyu tribe against European ownership of land. From 1953 to 1963 he was general secretary of the Kenya Federation of Labour (KFL), an especially important post since no strictly political African national organizations were allowed in Kenya until 1960.

      Although the KFL was not able to participate overtly in politics, Mboya won the 1957 legislative council elections as a workers' candidate, becoming one of only eight elected African members on the council. Unlike most of his colleagues, he opposed the policy of multiracial political representation put forward by the British colonial government in the late 1950s. He helped form the Kenya independence movement in the council and the People's Convention Party in Nairobi. In the critical preindependence decade he also spent a year at the University of Oxford and twice visited the United States. In 1959 he helped found the African–American Students Foundation to raise money to send East African (originally only Kenyan) university students to the United States on charter flights, thus making it possible for many more students to study abroad.

      Mboya was a founder-member of the Kenya African National Union (KANU) in 1960 and was minister of labour in the coalition government before independence. Although his importance declined after the release from prison (1961) of nationalist leader Jomo Kenyatta (Kenyatta, Jomo), he participated in Kenyatta's government as minister of justice and constitutional affairs in 1963 and minister for economic planning and development in 1964–69. His assassination in 1969 shocked the nation and exacerbated tensions between the dominant Kikuyu and other ethnic groups, especially Mboya's own Luo.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Mboya, Tom — orig. Thomas Joseph Mboya (15 ago. 1930, Kilima Mbogo, cerca de Nairobi, Kenia–5 jul. 1969, Nairobi). Líder político keniano. Durante la rebelión Mau mau (1952–56) y en el período que transcurrió hasta la independencia de Kenia (1963), Mboya… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Mboya — Tom Mboya (* Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya 15. August 1930 nahe Thika, Kenia; † 5. Juli 1969 in Nairobi), aus dem Volk der Luo, war ein einflussreicher kenianischer Gewerkschaftler und Unabhängigkeitspolitiker in der Übergangszeit Kenias von einer …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • tom — /tom/, n. 1. the male of various animals, as the turkey. 2. a tomcat. [1755 65; generic use of TOM] * * * (as used in expressions) Clancy Tom Clark Tom Cruise Tom Hanks Tom Kilburn Tom Mboya Tom Mix Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Watson Tom Wolfe Tom * * * …   Universalium

  • Tom — /tom/, n., v., Tommed, Tomming. n. 1. See Uncle Tom. 2. a male given name, form of Thomas. v.i. 3. (often l.c.) to act like an Uncle Tom. * * * (as used in expressions) Clancy Tom Clark Tom Cruise Tom Hanks Tom Kilburn Tom Mboya Tom Mix Tom… …   Universalium

  • Tom Mboya — Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya (August 15, 1930 – July 5, 1969) was a prominent Kenyan politician during Jomo Kenyatta s government. He was founder of the Nairobi People s Congress Party, a key figure in the formation of the Kenya African National… …   Wikipedia

  • Tom Mboya — Thomas Mboya Mandats Ministre de la Planification économique et du Développement du Kenya 1964 – 5 juillet 1969 Président Jomo Kenyatta Prédécesseur …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Tom — (as used in expressions) Clancy, Tom Clark, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Tom Kilburn, Tom Mboya, Tom Mix, Tom Stoppard, Sir Tom W …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Tom Mboya — (* Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya 15. August 1930 nahe Thika, Kenia; † 5. Juli 1969 in Nairobi), aus dem Volk der Luo, war ein einflussreicher kenianischer Gewerkschafter und Unabhängigkeitspolitiker in der Übergangszeit Kenias von einer britischen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mboya — /euhm boy euh/, n. Tom (Thomas Joseph Mboya), 1930 69, African political leader in Kenya. * * * …   Universalium

  • Mboya — /əmˈbɔɪə/ (say uhm boyuh) noun Tom (Thomas Joseph Mboya), 1930–69, Kenyan politician; one of the leading architects of Kenya s independence; assassinated …  

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