British occupation, inhuman governing, and the molestation of Africans

During the war, the demand for manpower increased significantly. The healthiest part of the African population was taken into the army. Tanganyika alone gave the army 86,740 people. To provide Labor for industrial enterprises and plantations, the colonial authorities took the path of widespread use of Forced Labor.

The use of Forced labor in Tanganyika was based on the Forced Labor Act of 1940, and in Kenya on the basis of the so-called Defensive Order of 1942. In Uganda, no new forced labor legislation was enacted during the war, as the forced labor system existed there before the war. 

In Buganda, Uganda province, every adult male was required to work in public works without any pay for 30 days a year. Forced labor could be replaced by a monetary contribution of 10 to .14 shillings known as Tuvalu.

Many Africans were mobilized for forced labor in East Africa during the war years. In the study already cited by us on the economic resources of Tanganyika, the number of those mobilized for labor work in Tanganyika in 1940-1945. is determined at 22 - 23 thousand people per year. According to another researcher, O. Brown, the number of people mobilized for labor work in Kenya ranges from 10 to 22 thousand per year.

Now, due to the lack of statistics, it is difficult to establish how  Colonial officials responded to inquiries from members of the House of Commons with higher numbers. Thus, the representative of the Ministry of Colonies E. Evans in May 1945 informed the House of Commons that at the end of November 1944 26,032 Africans were employed in forced labor in Kenya and 26,256 people were employed in Tanganyika at the end of December 1944.

Read the full article: British Occupation In East Africa And The Reduction Of Corn Crops And Food Export