I have been looking into the early newspapers of Kenya and have managed to glean the following facts, with the help of Stephen North. Can anyone help me further with this list? Have I got any of the dates wrong? Has anyone any more information about when the papers began or folded, and have I omitted any? I would be really grateful for your help.
East African Newspapers and Magazines before 1925
1899 – East Africa and Uganda Mail begun in Mombasa with Olive Grey as Proprietor. She was declared bankrupt in Mombasa on 13 March 1901. The newspaper was discontinued in 1904.
1902, 15 November – African Standard began in Mombasa as a weekly, with W.H. Tiller as Editor and A.M. Jeevanjee as Proprietor. It was bought by A.G.W. Anderson and Rudolf Mayer in May 1903. This became the East African Standard in 1905 and moved its offices to Nairobi in 1910, when it became a daily. ‘Tillard [sic] the drunken editor of a native newspaper rejoicing in the name of the ‘African Standard’’. (F.J. Jackson, FO2)
1904 – East African Quarterly was begun as an agricultural journal.
1905, Aug – Times of East Africa began, with Ernest William Low as Editor from December. He was sacked but re-engaged on one month’s notice 26 January 1906. He sued the paper for outstanding salary in May 1906 but lost the case. Low then started the Star Newspaper & Publishing C. Which published the East African Handbook, 1907. J.G. Hartnoll became Editor of the Times in May 1906, but he left the paper without giving notice in January 1907. Frank Watkins, John Brind Ellis, Douglas Grey, D.O. Roberts and Rudolph Diespecker were directors, and H.C. Batey the Secretary. Elsewhere I have seen this referred to as theNairobi Times. This still existed in 1928, run by J.A. Cable.
1905 or 1906 – Globetrotter, a weekly, was begun by David Garrick (‘Daddy’) Longworth. The Ndarugu diamond rush was started by a hoax report in it. He sold the newspaper on 26 May 1907.
1908, April – Advertiser of East Africa existed.
1909? – Daily Leader, with F.Ward as Director. This was absorbed by the East African Standard in 1921?
1914-1918 – Reveille published by the Swift Press.
1920, November – East African Chronicle existed.
1922 – Kenya Graphic existed.
1922 – Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika Critic existed.
1925 – Kenya Observer existed.
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