Sir Bartle Frere

Mombasa's Frere Town was named  in his honour. In 1872, Sir Frere was sent to Zanzibar to negotiate with the Sultan the end of Slave trade.

This resulted in a treaty being signed  between the Sultan and Sir John the British Consul in Zanzibar.

To provide food and shelter to the freed slaves who had nowhere else to go, Sir Frere urged the Church Missionary Society  to build a station near Mombasa.

This was agreed upon, and in 1874, a settlement bearing his surname "Frere" was established by Reverend Price.

In just one year the settlement had received 500 freed slaves. They were mainly from the present day Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe,  Mozambique and Tanzania. Another settlement with a big church was set up at Rabai in 1888.

However, the two settlements were under the constant danger of being attacked by Mombasa Arabs who insisted that the freed  slaves  being housed there were runaways  from domestic service, who had no right to be free.

They threatened to invade the settlements and recapture them. Because of the growing  danger to the freed slaves, the Imperial  British East Africa agreed to ransom them  by compensating Mombasa Arabs.

This went through, and on January 1,1890,  950 freed slaves received their liberation  papers

Mombasa's Frere Town was named in his honour. In 1872, Sir Frere was sent to Zanzibar to negotiate with the Sultan the end of Slave trade.

This resulted in a treaty being signed  between the Sultan and Sir John the British Consul in Zanzibar. 

To provide food and shelter to the freed slaves who had nowhere else to go, Sir Frere urged the Church Missionary Society  to build a station near Mombasa.

This was agreed upon, and in 1874,  a settlement bearing his surname "Frere" was established by Reverend Price. 

In just one year the settlement had received 500 freed slaves. They were mainly from the present day Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe,  Mozambique and Tanzania. Another settlement with a big church was set up at Rabai in 1888.

However, the two settlements were under the constant danger of being attacked by Mombasa Arabs who insisted that the freed  slaves being housed there were runaways  from domestic service, who had no right to be free.

They threatened  to invade the settlements and recapture them.Because of the growing  danger to the freed slaves, the Imperial  British East Africa agreed to ransom them  by compensating Mombasa Arabs.

This went through, and on January 1,1890,  950 freed slaves received their liberation  papers