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Many traders settled over the years along the Kenyan Coast and married the indigenous population becoming the forefathers of the Swahili People. The name Swahili came from the language known as Kiswahili which was based on Bantu which blended with many other languages spoken by various settlers to become the language of communication on the coast and eventually throughout East Africa. The word Swahili is derived from the Arabic word sahils-awahils meaning coast. The earliest known Chinese settlers came to Shanga village, which is north of Lamu, in the 8th century. Over the centuries a large variety of people settled on the coast: Arab, Persian, Chinese, Portuguese, English and many more.

Over centuries a number of influential dynasties established themselves along the coast of East Africa from Lamu to Zanzibar. They influenced the development of the Swahili culture and now the Swahili culture based on a mixed heritage dominates the coast region. Swahili people follow the Islam religion In 1332, it is known that a Moroccan named Ibn Battuta stopped off at Mombasa and in 1497, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama visited the East African Coast and claimed it for the King of Portugal.

In 1591, the English tried but failed to break the Portuguese monopoly on the East African Coastal Region. To solidify their domination in the area the Portuguese built Fort Jesus in 1593 - this historical monument still stands tall and overlooks the old harbour. It is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Old Town.

Only in 1631 the notorious Don Geronimo (Yusuf bin Hassan) took possession of Mombasa and forced the Portuguese retreat. In 1697, a fighting ship named The Santo Antonio D'Atanna sank at the entrance to Mombasa harbour while trying to break the prolonged siege of Fort Jesus. It is said that the bulk of the ship still remains deep in the harbour. The Portuguese managed to regain some control but only briefly until 1729 when they were finally driven from the coast by Arabs from Oman.

The administration of Mombasa and part of the coast was governed by an aristocratic Omani family named Mazrui who soon claimed Mvita - the island of war (Mombasa) as their own and declared their independence from Oman. This was a challenge to the Al-Busa'id family - the very recent rulers of Oman - who looked at the East African coast as the domain of Oman. To try and regain control of Mombasa and the Kenya Coast the Al-Busa'idi family attempted numerous attacks in the 1820's on the Mazruis.

In 1823 Captain William Wentworth Owen was charting the East African Coast for the British Admiralty. At the request of the Mazrui Clan, Owen through his own initiative and against the wishes of the British Government, extended British protection to Mombasa. He seized the island and over four hundred and seventy kilometres of coastline from the Sultan of Oman - Sa'id bin Sultan bin Ahmed - known as Seyyid Said, a grandson of the founder of the Al-Busa'id dynasty.

Shortly after Owen sailed away having left John James Reitz, his third lieutenant as the first Governor of British East Africa. Reitz died from malaria on 29th May 1824. One of Mombasa's largest inner harbours is named in his memory.

The Anglo-Omani Treaty of 1798 and Captain Owen's visit to Mombasa in December 1823 resulted in the beginnings of the abolition of slavery.

In 1828 Seyyid Said regained control over Mombasa and dislodged the Mazrui Clan, he also entered into further treaties with Great Britain. The Mazrui family moved north to Takaungu near Kilifi and south to Gazi.

In 1833 the United States entered into a treaty with the Sultan and an American Consulate was opened in 1836.

1n 1840, the Great Omani Arab Ruler, Sa'id bin Sultan bin Ahmed moved his capital from Oman to Zanzibar and became the Sultan of Zanzibar. He introduced copper coins to augment the existing silver coins of Maria Theresa dollars and Spanish crowns and developed various commercial enterprises on the island. Many countries signed commercial treaties and opened Consulates. Sa'id bin Sultan bin Ahmed died in 1856.

On 25th May, 1887, Sultan Bargash of Zanzibar granted to the British East Africa Association, a concession for fifty years. This concession delegated all the Sultans powers on the mainland from the River Umbe in the South to Kipini in the North. The Association had the right to levy taxes, collect the customs, dispose of public funds, administer justice and general governance. The British East Africa Association concluded a further twenty one treaties with African tribes in the hinterland and with Sir William Mackinnon as its founder, became the Imperial British East Africa Company in 1888.

In 1895 the Proclamation of the British East Africa Protectorate took place and remained until 1920 when the Colony of Kenya was established to distinguish it from ex-German East Africa (now Tanzania). At midnight on 12th December 1963, the Union Flag was lowered and a new 3 coloured national flag with a shield and crossed spears was raised. Kenya had become an Independent State.