The first colonists from Europe to have a presence in Kenya were German. In 1890, the region came under the control of the Imperial British East Africa Company, and Kenya was part of the British East Africa protectorate from 1895 until it became a British crown colony in 1920.

Disputes over land were common, leading to the Mau Mau rebellion by the Kikuyu people in 1952, which effectively put Kenya into a state of emergency for the next seven years.

The first direct elections took place in 1957, with the Kenya African National Union led by Jomo Kenyatta, an ethnic Kikuyu, forming the first government.

On June 1st 1963, Kenya became a self-governing country when Jomo Kenyatta became the first prime minister.

Full independence from British rule followed on December 12th 1963 when Kenya became an independent nation.

This is one of the three national holidays created by Article 8 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010.