208 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
of the grant-in-aid received by the Protectorate. This 
grant-in-aid the majority of settlers in the country 
would like to reduce to a vanishing point at the earliest 
possible opportunity. The reason of this sentiment is 
twofold: the feeling that it is unfair that the taxpayers 
in England should be mulcted on their behalf a 
moment longer than necessary, and the more selfish 
consideration that when they no longer exist on charity 
the white population are likely to get a more just 
appreciation from the Colonial Office of their legiti¬ 
mate demands. 1 Before, however, touching on the 
question of disbandment, reduction, or redistribution, 
it may be as well to append a short history of the 
3rd or East African Battalion of the King’s African 
Rifles, which form the force with which we are 
primarily interested. 
In July, 1895, ^e Imperial British East Africa 
Company ceased to exist and the territory ruled over 
by this Corporation together with its then existing 
armed forces were taken over by the Imperial 
Government. 
In 1896-7 the reorganisation of the British East 
Africa Company’s old forces into the East African 
Rifles was carried out. 
In 1899 the establishment of the battalion was raised 
to nineteen British officers and eight companies. 
In 1902, the East African Rifles became the 
3rd Battalion King’s African Rifles, the headquarters 
were fixed at Nairobi, and the present lines erected. 
In 1904, the strength of the battalion was raised to 
ten companies by the transfer of two companies from 
Uganda. 
1 The grant in aid ceased in the spring of the present year, which fact 
caused the most widespread satisfaction throughout the Protectorate.—C. 
