Kenyan independence marks the end of British colonial rule, achieved on December 12, 1963, after a long struggle involving political activism and the armed Mau Mau uprising led by figures like Jomo Kenyatta, who became Kenya's first Prime Minister and later President, transitioning Kenya to a republic in 1964 within the Commonwealth. In essence, Kenyan independence was a hard-won victory, culminating decades of resistance against colonialism, with the Mau Mau rebellion and political negotiations ultimately forcing Britain's departure.