Various factors led to the defeat of African communities by the British during the establishment of colonial rule in Kenya as follows:
- The communities were not united. While some like the Nandi resisted, Others like the Wanga collaborated with British rule.
- They had inferior weapons which were no much for British fire-arms.
- African soldiers had little knowledge of the British military tactics.
- They had been weakened by catastrophes such as famine, Rinderpest outbreak and civil strife in the 1890s.
- Their leaders lacked organizational skills to mobilize the people against the British.
- The British used treachery when dealing with some communities e.g. the Nandi.
- The British destroyed the economic base of the communities, thus making them weak.
- The warriors got demoralized when many of their colleagues and leaders were captured and killed.
- The Kenya-Uganda railway facilitated faster movement of British troops
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