Spreading the fire of nationalism

When Kenyatta was elected chairman of Kenya African Union (KAU) in 1947 Kaggia joined KAU hoping that it would become more militant. However, at national level KAU was barely functioning. Kenyatta’s meetings always aroused people, but KAU as an organization was lifeless. Kaggia shifted his interest to the trade unions. He admired the fire and militancy of Fred Kubai en Makhan Singh. Kaggia founded the Clerks and Commercial Workers Union and in 1948 he became its chairman. This union became a member of the general union, the Labour Trade Union of East Africa. In the Trade Unions Kaggia found the right place for his ambitions. In 1950 Kaggia became president of Labour Trade Union of East Africa. The trade unions had much support in Nairobi and they took over the KAU branch Nairobi in 1951. Kaggia was elected its general secretary.

Later the trade unions tried to take over the national leadership of KAU but this failed when the president of KAU, Jomo Kenyatta, changed the election process at the last moment in a far from democratic procedure. This almost resulted in a split of KAU, but the 'militants' decided to remain in KAU for the sake of unity.

Kaggia started vernacular newspapers like Inoora ria Gikuyu and later Afrika Mpya to report KAU activities. These and other vernacular newspapers were instrumental in spreading the message of the militant leaders who advocated for independence.

Kaggia was a leading member of the KAU Study Circle which assisted its members with drafting memoranda, resolutions and discussions papers. He was the President of the Anti Federation League. This league was set up to oppose the proposed Federation with Central Africa, which would strengthen the white settlers' political control of these territories. The Anti-Federation League succeeded in its objective as Kenya did not join the Federation when in 1953 the Central African Federation of three British colonies: Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Nyasaland (now Malawi) was founded.

As a member of the African Advisory Council, Kaggia campaigned actively against the Nairobi municipal Council apartheid by-laws, which had created separate European, Asian and African areas in Nairobi. Kaggia considered it as one of his biggest achievements that these by-laws were repealed by the Municipal Council.

During this period Kaggia and other KAU militants lost faith in constitutional methods of fighting for independence. To them it was clear that the Colonial Government would never give way in Kenya without a struggle. Instead of gradually introducing changes to give Africans self-rule, the Government was passing harsh laws, whose only purpose was curtail African political activity. Each year the settlers became more bold and in 1949 they came with the notorious ‘Kenya Plan’ to make Kenya een mzungu country, or as some of the writers described it a ‘white man’s country. A new way of fighting had to be found. Given the settlers’ hold on Kenya, the resistance movement had to be underground and secret. The resistance movement come to be known under the name of ‘Mau Mau’. Kaggia was a member of the Mau Mau Central Committee . At one time in late 1952 they even summoned Kenyatta that he should stop denouncing Mau Mau in government organized meetings. From that time time Kenyatta stopped featuring in Government meetings.

On 20 October 1952 Kaggia was arrested in Operation Jock Scott, and charged inter alia with managing Mau Mau, and being a senior member of it.