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The Pre-colonial economy was described as a natural economy. It was characterized by subsistence production of food for survival and not commercial purposes. The Precolonial economy was a communal/sharing economy controlled by African leaders who distributed resources to communities for sharing and utilization. This became a source of respect and loyalty for East African chiefs. However, the economy was based on a subsistence foundation. The products
Agriculture was done in form of food gathering, supported by hunting. This provided them with constant food. Mining was the most important non-food productive activity. In Pre-colonial East Africa; for example, there was salt mining at Lake Katwe, and copper, iron ore, and gold mining metals were also done, but on a small scale.
Farmers in those days faced two main challenges: poor infrastructure and rudimentary technology. This affected many regions of East Africa in the precolonial times. Without modern machinery, such as tractors, and modern inputs, such as chemical fertilisers as well as no irrigation schemes and pesticides, farmers could not perform as expected. Minor changes in weather always affected them severely.
Instruct the learner to visit the library or computer laboratory in order to research and attempt Activity 2.1. Highlight the internet sources and relevant textbooks to be used. Move around as you converse with the learners to establish whether they have understood the pre-colonial economic conditions in East Africa. Instruct the learners to form groups and debate the motion given in the Learner’s book.
Activity 2.1: Understanding the economic conditions in East Africa before the colonial economy (Time: 80minutes)
- What are some of the features of precolonial economies that still exist in East Africa today? Share your answers with the rest of the class.
- In a debate session, discuss the motion “Pre-colonial economy was better than today’s economy”. Involve the whole class.
1) Pre-colonial economies that exist still today:
- Agriculture
- Barter system
- Hunting
- Mining
- Farming
- Fishing
2) Suggested Answers
2.2 The Colonial Economy in East Africa
A colonial economy refers to the system of production and consumption that was introduced in the colonies by the colonialists. This was done in order to fulfill the economic demands of the colonial masters, such as raw materials, markets, areas for investment, and areas for settlement. It included: agriculture, mining, communication, and transportation of goods.
A number of economic and social policies were used by the British and Germans to fully establish themselves in East Africa. This was to ensure a constant supply of raw materials, cheap labor, and a market for their goods.
The colonial economy transformed East Africa in many ways. Colonies provided raw materials like agricultural products and minerals, to factories in Europe. Examples of such agricultural products
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