The Kennedy Airlift

What came to be called The Kennedy Airlift was started in 1959 by a 28-year-old Kenyan named Tom Mboya, seeking support for promising Kenyan students to get college and university educations in the United States and Canada. It brought hundreds of students from East Africa from 1959 to 1963, and was supported by many North American educational institutions, foundations and individuals. It got its popular nickname in September 1960 when Senator Jack Kennedy, in a close Presidential campaign, arranged a $100,000 donation from the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr Foundation to cover airfare for the autumn 1960 group of East African students, just as the program was running out of funds. [1]

Background

The program began in earnest in 1959 when Mboya embarked on a speaking tour of the United States seeking scholarships for students from East Africa. The first batch of 81 students touched down on New York City on September 11, 1959. These students would be settled in various universities in the United States and Canada. In Kenya, Mboya liaised with Julius Kiano and Kariuki Njiiri to identify potential students for the airlifts. Kiano and Njiiri were both alumni of American universities [2]

The airlifts were opposed by Britain. Kenya was Britain's colony and Britain did not want the United States meddling with any of its colonies. British officials spread propaganda among top Kenyan students that American education was inferior to British education.

Legacy

The airlifts officially ended in 1963. Most of the graduates from American and Canadian colleges and universities went back to help build the newly independent Kenya. Some were employed even before they graduated. They were mainly employed in the public administration sector as district and provincial officers. While men found it easy to get jobs they qualified for, women faced a tougher challenge. Many were offered secretarial duties despite being better qualified than most male officers in the same departments.

Notable Beneficiaries

Over 800 students, mainly from Kenya, benefited from the Kennedy Airlift. Some of the more notable ones include:

Barack Obama Snr

Contrary to some media reports, Barack Obama Snr, Barack Obama's father, was not a beneficiary of the airlifts. [3] He received private funding to attend the University of Hawaii. He is, however, considered part of the 'airlift generation'.

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References
  1. "JFK and the Student Airlift". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  2. https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/magazine/Airlifts-to-the-US-The-first-Kenyans-to-study-in-America/434746-3472918-8ak1w4/index.html
  3. https://www.thenation.com/article/african-airlift/
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