Since independence in 1963, Kenya has survived decades as a functioning nation-state, with regular elections, its borders intact, and without experiencing war or military rule. 

However, the country failed to transcend its colonial past. The political elite’s endless struggle for access to state resources has damaged Kenya’s economy.

In this definitive new history, Charles Hornsby demonstrates how independent Kenya’s politics have been dominated by a struggle to deliver security, impartiality, efficiency and growth, but how the legacies of the past have undermined their achievement, making the long-term future of Kenya far from certain.