Trade Unionist & Activist
Makhan Singh
Kenyan trade union leader who fought for workers' rights during the colonial era and represented the Indian labour community in East Africa.
East Africa
(East Africa)
From 1896, 39,000 Girmitiya built the Uganda Railway from Mombasa to Lake Victoria.
East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika) received approximately 39,000 Indian indentured labourers between 1896 and 1921, primarily for construction of the Uganda Railway and plantation work. Their sacrifices laid the foundation for modern East African infrastructure.
Major Historical Events
1896
Indian labourers arrived to build the Uganda Railway, from Mombasa to Lake Victoria.
1901
Railway completed. Thousands of workers lost their lives, known as the 'Lunatic Line'.
1921
Indenture ended in East Africa. A total of 39,000 labourers contributed.
From 1896, 39,000 Girmitiya built the Uganda Railway from Mombasa to Lake Victoria.
East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika) received approximately 39,000 Indian indentured labourers between 1896 and 1921, primarily for construction of the Uganda Railway and plantation work. Their sacrifices laid the foundation for modern East African infrastructure.
Major Historical Events
1896
Indian labourers arrived to build the Uganda Railway, from Mombasa to Lake Victoria.
1901
Railway completed. Thousands of workers lost their lives, known as the 'Lunatic Line'.
1921
Indenture ended in East Africa. A total of 39,000 labourers contributed.
1896 to 1921
Period
39,000
Total Arrivals
East Africa
Region
Key Girmitiya Figures