Tom Mboya | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mboya in 1962 | |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 1 June 1963 – December 1964 | |
| Prime Minister | Jomo Kenyatta |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Member of Parliament | |
| In office 1963 – 5 July 1969 | |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Maina Wanjingi |
| Constituency | Nairobi Central |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya 15 August 1930 Kilima Mbogo, British East Africa |
| Died | 5 July 1969 (aged 38) Nairobi, Kenya |
| Resting place | Tom Mboya Mausoleum, Rusinga Island, Homa Bay County |
| Political party | Kenya African National Union |
| Spouse | Pamela Mboya |
| Children | 5 (including Susan) |
| Alma mater | Ruskin College |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Industrial labour administrator |
| Cabinet | Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister for Labour Minister for Economic Planning and Development |
Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya (15 August 1930 – 5 July 1969) was a Kenyan trade unionist, educator, Pan-Africanist, author, independence activist, and statesman. He was one of the founding fathers of the Republic of Kenya.[1] He led the negotiations for independence at the Lancaster House Conferences[2] and was instrumental in the formation of Kenya's independence party – the Kenya African National Union (KANU) – where he served as its first Secretary-General.[3] He laid the foundation for Kenya's capitalist and mixed economy policies at the height of the Cold War and set up several of the country's key labour institutions.[1] Mboya was Minister for Economic Planning and Development when he was assassinated.
Mboya's intelligence, charm, leadership, and oratory skills won him admiration from all over the world.[1] He gave speeches, participated in debates and interviews across the world in favour of Kenya's independence from British colonial rule. He also spoke at several rallies in the goodwill of the Civil Rights movement in the United States.[4] In 1958, at the age of 28, Mboya was elected Conference Chairman at the All-African Peoples' Conference convened by Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana.[5] He helped build the Trade Union Movement in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, as well as across Africa. He also served as the Africa Representative to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). In 1959, Mboya called a conference in Lagos, Nigeria, to form the first All-Africa ICFTU labour organization.[6]
Mboya worked with both John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. to create educational opportunities for African students, an effort that resulted in the Kennedy Airlifts of the 1960s enabling East African students to study in American colleges. Notable beneficiaries of this airlift include Wangari Maathai. In 1960, Mboya was the first Kenyan to be featured on the front page cover of Time magazine in a painting by Bernard Safran.[7]
- ^ a b c Kenya Human Rights Commission, "An evening with Tom Mboya", 2006.
- ^ Goldsworthy, David (1982), Tom Mboya The Man Kenya wanted to Forget, Heinemann, pp. 191–195.
- ^ Ogot, Bethwell A., and William Ochieng (1995), Decolonization and Independence in Kenya: 1940 – 1963, East African Publishers, p. 65.
- ^ Nzau Musau (27 July 2015). "Standard Digital News – Kenya : President Uhuru Kenyatta praises Tom Mboya at state banquet". Standard Digital News. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
- ^ "Tom Mboya – Biography". Retrieved 15 February 2016.
- ^ Kwama, Kenneth (1 October 2013). "Standard Digital News – Kenya : Tom Mboya- Kwame Nkrumah row jolts trade union movement". Standard Digital News. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
- ^ "TIME Magazine Cover: Tom Mboya – Mar. 7, 1960". Time. Retrieved 15 February 2016.