Bildad Kaggia
1921 – 2005 Kenyan trade unionist, nationalist, opposition politician
Kenyan independence militant tried alongside Jomo Kenyatta, later a left-wing critic of the post-independence government over land.
- Religion
- Christian, founder of an African independent church
- Affiliations
- Kenya African Union, Kapenguria Six, Kenya People's Union
Bildad Kaggia was a soldier in the King's African Rifles who became a radical trade unionist and one of the leaders of the militant wing of the Kenya African Union in Nairobi. He was one of the Kapenguria Six jailed with Kenyatta in 1953 on charges of managing Mau Mau. After independence he pushed for free land for the landless and fell out with Kenyatta, who publicly rebuked him for not enriching himself; he helped found the opposition Kenya People's Union with Oginga Odinga. He spent much of his later life in political obscurity and modest circumstances.
Connections
- associate of Fred Kubai — Fellow militant and Kapenguria detainee.
- associate of Fred Kubai — Fellow militant unionist and Kapenguria detainee.
- rival of Jomo Kenyatta — Jailed alongside him, later broke with him over land and was publicly rebuked.
- ally of Oginga Odinga — Co-founded the Kenya People's Union.
- ally of Oginga Odinga — Co-founded the opposition Kenya People's Union.
In the timeline
- 1944 The Kenya African Union Is Founded militant activist in the union
- 1951 Militants capture the KAU Nairobi branch mentioned
- 1951 The Muhimu central committee is formed mentioned
- 1951 Nairobi militants drive the oath campaign mentioned
- 1952 The Kapenguria Trial one of the Kapenguria Six, tried with Kenyatta
- 1952 State of Emergency and Operation Jock Scott mentioned
- 1953 Bildad Kaggia, the radical of Kapenguria central figure
- 1965 Bildad Kaggia Rebuked for Not Enriching Himself the politician Kenyatta publicly rebuked
- 1965 Kenyatta rebukes Bildad Kaggia over land central figure