Explain the effects of slave trade on the African community in Kenya

Effects of slave trade on the African community in Kenya

• African population was reduced; people who would have been great leaders and empire builders were killed. It is estimated that over 15 to 30 million people were sold in to slavery while other millions died in the process being transported.
• Slave trade brought misery, suffering and lowered the quality of people in East Africa this is because they were reduced to ‘commodities’ which could be bought and sold on land.
• Villages and families were destroyed and broken up by slave raiders and never to be reunited this later resulted in to loss of identity.
• Diseases broke out among the overcrowded slaves for example the Spaniards introduced Syphilis and soon it spread to other traders.
• Slave trade led to displacement of people and many became homeless and destitute many and stayed in Europe with no identity.

• Economic activities such as farming were disrupted. This is because the young and able craftsmen, traders and farmers were carried off, causing economic stagnation as the economic workforce depleted.
• Progress slowed down, which resulted in famine, poverty and destitution and helplessness.
• There was a decline in production of traditional goods such as coffee, beans, bark cloth and iron which greatly hindered the cash economy. 
• There was a decline in African industries which also faced a lot of competition from imported manufactured goods for example the Bark cloth and iron working industries.
• Guns were introduced into the interior which caused a lot of insecurity and increased incidences of wars for territorial expansion.
• Clans and tribal units, languages were broken and inter-tribal peace was disturbed for example Swahili language replaced the traditional languages in the interior.

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