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| Sir Victor Cavendish |
THE DEVONSHIRE WHITE PAPER
A white paper is a government document issues to handle a certain problem. The Devonshire white paper was the British government document issued by the British secretary of colonies Sir Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire.
It was issued in 1923 in London to the colonial government of Kenya so as to handle hostilities between races in Kenya.
It was referred to as the Devonshire white paper because at that time the British secretary of colonies was also the Duke of Devonshire. The secretary invited the representative of the white settlers, Asians and the colonial government.
The document was issued to the governor of Kenya who was by that time, Sir Robert Corydon become the governor of Kenya from 1922.
THE TERMS (CONTENTS) OF THE DEVONSHIRE WHITE PAPER (DWP)
The DWP contained the following message to the races and colonial government of Kenya.
• The Kenyan highlands should be reserved for white settlers only.
• There should be more racial segregation in the Kenyan residential areas.
• There should be no more land alienation to the natives.
• The Asians should be represented in the legislature (LEGCO) by five members but not on the common roll.
• The natives (Africans) should be represented in the colonial legislature by one missionary officer.
• Kenya is primarily the Africans’ territory. The interests of the native rates (Africans) should be Para mounted above other rates.
• The government colonial government should exercise control of the colony not the white settlers to control the colony.
