Activities of the British, French and German Traders on the East African Coast 1. Traders organised themselves into chattered companies. These companies were business Enterprises formed mainly to curve out colonies for their mother countries. The companies included, The Imperial East African Company (IBEACO) and German East African Company (GEACO). Through these companies, the traders owned the areas they controlled and the following were some of their activities; 2. They financed colonial administration on behalf their governments back home. IBEACO administered Uganda and Kenya on behalf of the British 3. They fought and defeated the rebellious societies in East Africa such as,theBanyoro, Nandi and Masai. 4. They developed Transport and Communication networks such as roads and railways 5. They constructed administrative ports, garrisons and Forts, which the colonial governments later used. These were built at Old Kampala,Rabai, Naivasha and Machakos by the IBEACO 6. They encouraged cash crop growing to raise money to finance colonial administration E.g. the growing of coffee and cotton hence providing the basis on which the colonial economy thrived 7. They created security organs which improved security. The IBEACO for example built a private army that was later used in the colonisation of Uganda, 8. They helped in the effective abolition of slave trade and establishment of legitimate trade. This could only be achieved if it was effectively brought under European control 9. They protected Christian Missionaries who were also colonial agents. For exampleMissionaries softened the hearts and minds of Africans through their preaching and education. Many of their converts became colonial collaborators.
10. They signed treaties with the local people. These treaties were later used by their home governments to occupy East Africa.