British East Africa, also called the East Africa Protectorate, is a former incarnation of the African country of Kenya, and was under British administration from 1895 to 1920.
The first stamps of British East Africa, however, came in 1890, when British stamps overprinted ‘British East Africa Company’ were used, shortly before the Protectorate got its own stamps, inscribed Imperial British East Africa Company; these were valued in annas and rupees.
In 1895, those “Imperial” stamps, as well as stamps of British India, were overprinted with ‘British East Africa’; in 1897, stamps from Zanzibar were used for these overprints.
In 1901, the postal administration of the British East Africa Protectorate was merged with that of Uganda, and stamps were issued with the inscription East Africa and Uganda Protectorates, bringing an end to the short postage stamp history of British East Africa proper.
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Note: The stamps of British East Africa are not to be confused with the stamps of British Central Africa, present-day Malawi.
