10 Astounding World War 2 Facts You Didn't Know
3. Kenya Provided 30% Of Britain's East African Army
When discussion of prominence in WWII occur few people bring up the African nation of Kenya. At the time it was a British colony and Britain was very keen on conscripting its people into the King's African Rifles. During the course of the war Kenyan citizens were drafted to serve Britain for their campaigns in Africa, Burma, and Madagascar.
The King's African Rifles were, like many British overseas forces, comprised of conscripted locals from East African colonies and commanded by British officers and NCOs (non-commissioned officers). The colony of Kenya itself only saw some fighting in the early part of the war when Italy invaded from the newly conquered Ethiopia. The people of Kenya, however, saw a lot of fighting.
During WWII almost 100 thousand Kenyans were drafted to fight for Allied interests, comprising over 30% of the KAR battalion. Some famous folks who fought alongside the Kenyans within the KAR were Charlie and the Chocolate Factory writer Roald Dahl, future Ugandan despot Idi Amin, and former US President Barack Obama's grandfather Hussein Onyango Obama. Small world, eh?