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Countries > United Kingdom > Passport & Nationality
British Overseas Citizen (BOC) - Kenya
STATUS OF THE KENYA COLONY
From 23.07.1920 until 31.12.1948, the Kenya Colony fell within the Crown’s Dominions. From 01.01.1949 until 11.12.1963, the colony formed part of the UK and Colonies. As a general rule, any person born in the Kenya Colony between 01.01.1949 and 11.12.1963 was a Citizen of the UK & Colonies.
Click here for more information on the Status of Kenya.
BRITISH NATIONALITY
As a general rule, British Nationality was achieved by Birth, Descent, Registration or Naturalisation. To determine this more specifically, one must look at the date and place of your own birth, as well as the nationalities (and places of birth) of your parents and grandparents. It could later be lost by either Independence arrangements, deprivation or renunciation.
For more information on the British Overseas (BOC) status, then watch this short video by Philip Gamble on the other forms of British Nationality available:
British Overseas Citizen (BOC)
Philip Gamble, widely regarded as the world’s leading authority on British and Colonial Nationality, will be holding a series of seminars throughout Africa, including Kenya, in 2013. If you
- have a family link to the UK, or
- have a parent (or grandparent) born in a country that is different to your own country of birth,
then you may have a potential claim to British Nationality.
More about Philip Gamble
To discover whether you are entitled to a British Passport, the British Overseas Citizen (BOC) status, or upgrade your existing BOC status, take 2 minutes to complete our FREE Nationality Search...
Birth in the Kenya Colony
If a person was born in the Kenya Colony BEFORE Independence, then they automatically became a Citizen of the UK & Colonies (a CUKC). On Independence Day, the Kenyan Constitution dictated who became Kenyan citizens and who did not. If neither parent was born in an area that made up modern-day Kenya, then that person did NOT get Kenyan Citizenship on Independence.
Likewise, if that person's father OR Paternal Grandfather was born anywhere which remained a UK Colony, Protectorate or Protected State AFTER Independence (with the exception of Northern Rhodesia), then that person would also NOT become a Kenyan Citizen.
Finally, if that person's father or Paternal Grandfather was naturalised or Registered in a place that remained part of the UK & Colonies on Independence, then that person would also NOT get Kenyan Citizenship.
In most cases, those born in the Kenya Colony with a parent or grandparent from India or Pakistan could claim the BOC status.
In these circumstances, this person would become a British Overseas Citizen (BOC). It is possible under some circumstances to upgrade a BOC into full British Citizenship.
Click here for more information on the British Overseas (BOC) status.
To discover whether you are entitled to a British Passport, the British Overseas Citizen (BOC) status, or upgrade your existing BOC status, take 2 minutes to complete our FREE Nationality Search...
