Welcome to Old Africa

your window into East Africa’s past.

Old Africa books

Old Africa books are well-told stories in the same tradition as the shorter pieces

our readers have come to enjoy from the pages of Old Africa magazine.

After two decades in print, Old Africa is now fully digital and free for all! That’s right: zero shillings, endless stories. Yes, we’ll miss the smell and feel of fresh paper too — and to our loyal subscribers who’ve stacked us proudly on bookshelves, we thank you for your loyalty. The stories stay rich, the history stays deep — only the format has changed.

But while the magazine won’t cost you a cent, creating it still does. If you enjoy digging into Africa’s rich past with us, toss a coin (or a few) our way. Help us keep history alive — minus the printing bill. Consider donating to Old Africa to keep the stories coming.

 

The First Kenya Railway Survey

The First Kenya Railway Survey The final routes of the East African Railway Now that the new railway is again under consideration it is interesting to look at the original plans for the first Kenya-Uganda railway.  The preliminary surveys were made in 1891 and 1892...

Hunting with Hounds in Early Colonial Kenya

Hunting with Hounds in Early Colonial Kenya Early British settlers in Kenya brought with them a favourite hobby of the upper classes – hunting with hounds. A small pack of English foxhounds was imported from India by George Hammond Goldfinch, who settled in British...

Mombasa’s Roman Catholic Cathedral

Mombasa’s Roman Catholic Cathedral

In 1885 the first modern Catholics in Mombasa were encouraged by Monsignor Raoul de Courmont, Vicar Apostolic of Zanzibar, who sent from Zanzibar Father Alexandre le Roy, a Holy Ghost missionary disguised as an Arab to avoid religious rivalry, on an exploratory visit...