Missionaries’ Rivalry in Kenya and the Establishment of St. Mary’s School Yala

What is it about?

This article discusses the development of secondary education for Africans in colonial Kenya by analysing the development of St. Mary's School Yala. The school was the outcome of fierce rivalry between missionary groups in their quest to attract African converts. The article evaluates the interaction of Africans, the colonial enterprise and the missionaries themselves in pushing the rivalry; and how this led to the development of African secondary education.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Christian missionaries have been credited with the introduction of formal education in most African societies. This article goes to show that missionaries were not motivated by altruism to provide education; but by the desire to convert as many Africans as they could to their specific denominational faiths. The article also highlights the role played by Africans in the development of formal education in Africa; a role that has hitherto been largely ignored.