Significant Indian migration to modern-day Kenya began following the creation of the East Africa Protectorate in 1895.  Among the local Indian ethnic populace, the vast majority of administrative roles were filled by Konkani Goans, Parsis, and Gujaratis, whilst the ranks of the British officered police and army mainly consisted of Punjabis.

Between 1896 and 1901 when some 32,000 indentured laborers were recruited from British India to build the Kenya-Uganda Railway. The majority of Indians trace their ancestry to the regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Punjab. There are also large numbers who originate from Maharashtra, Odisha, Goa, and Tamil Nadu.

Indian community grew significantly during the colonial period, and in the 1962 census, Indians made up a third of the population of Nairobi and consisted of 176,613 people across the country. Despite accounting for only 2 percent of the overall population, Indians constituted one-third of the population of Nairobi, where their businesses dominated the main street. Before independence, Asians owned nearly three-quarters of the private non-agricultural assets in the country. The Gujarati community in particular thrived in a wide range of industries. Some of Kenya’s largest and most prominent companies to date are controlled by Gujaratis.