Kenya Colonial Records

German Protectorate (1885-1888)
The colonization of Kenya began with Germany instituting a protectorate over the Sultan of Zanzibar's coastal possessions in 1885. When the Imperial British East Africa Company arrived in 1888, war was prevented when Germany ceded its coastal holdings to Britain in 1890.

British Colonization (1888-1963)
Kenya became a free country in 1963. In 1964, Kenya became a republic and was renamed the Republic of Kenya. The official languages are English and Swahili.