The Role of the Church Missionary Society in the Abolition of Slavery at the Kenya Coast

Abstract: The article focuses on the role played by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in the abolitionism. There were some of the CMS missionaries who supported immediate while others were in favour of the gradual abolition of slavery and the slave trade. The debate on abolitionism went beyond the confines of the CMS as the colonial administration was involved in the process. The abolitionist debate took place in an environment that was intricately influenced by several factors including the plural legal environment at the Kenya coast at the time because of Islamic laws and the British common law. There was the influence of slave masters who were not willing to give up the trade because of the economic gain. These factors among other as discussed in the article shaped the role and outcome of the CMS position on abolitionism

Keywords: Abolition, Immediate, Gradual, Sanctuaries

Edition: Volume 9 Issue 9, September 2020,

Pages: 1258 - 1263