Kenyan politician and independence activist (1930–1969)
Tom Mboya
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
(1930-08-15)15 August 1930 Kilima Mbogo, British East Africa
Died
5 July 1969(1969-07-05) (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 (15August 1930 – 5July 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 at 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]
^ abcKenya 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.com. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya (15 August 1930 – 5 July 1969) was a Kenyan trade unionist, educator, Pan-Africanist, author, independence activist, and...
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Pamela Mboya (1938 – 26 January 2009) was a Kenyan political activist and diplomat, the wife of TomMboya the Kenyan trade unionist, educationist, Pan...
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the east, and Mathare Constituency to the north. Prominent politician TomMboya was the first MP from this constituency. He was assassinated in 1969....
Thimlich Ohinga Ruins of Gedi Jumba la Mtwana Lamu Fort Siyu Fort Fort Jesus TomMboya Monument Dedan Kimathi Statue Baden-Powell grave Symbols Flag Coat of...
II Kenya African Union Jomo Kenyatta Mau Mau Rebellion Dedan Kimathi TomMboya Oginga Odinga Nairobi People's Convention Party The Kennedy Airlift Kenya...
political party from its creation in 1960 until its dissolution in 1964. TomMboya 15 August 1930 5 July 1969 Trade unionist, educator, Pan Africanist, author...
are also spoken in small pockets by migrants from these communities. TomMboya, politician and former minister Simeon Nyachae (1932–2021), Kenyan politician...
foreign, industrial investments. An influential sessional paper authored by TomMboya and Mwai Kibaki in 1965 stressed the need for Kenya to avoid both the...
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