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Name: BROWN, Kenneth Arrowsmith DSO (Major)

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Birth Date: 1878 Edinburgh

Death Date: 25 May 1970 Karen

First Date: 1929

Profession: Established bus companies in Nairobi and Mombasa. Dir. African Transport Co. Ltd; Trustee Royal Kenya National Parks

Area: Nairobi, Ngong

Married: 1. In Johannesburg 16 Apr 1907 Violet Frances Goch b. Cape Colony 1887, d. St Albans 19 Jan 1974; 2. In Nairobi 7 Oct 1939 Dorothy Richardson b. Dec 1890 Lisburn, d. 1 Oct 1965 Nairobi

Children: Kenneth Pearce 'Peter' (Plymouth 19 Aug 1911-Taunton Apr 1999); James Bevan (S. Africa 2 May 1908-30 Oct 1962 Surrey)

Book Reference: Who's Who, Debrett, Karen 50, Hut, EA & Rhodesia, DSO

War Service: Devonshire Regt. 1914-19 and Territorial Artillery 1919-29

School: Clifton College

General Information:

Debrett - Major 56th (Wessex) Field Brigade RA (TA); European War 1914-19 (despatches, DSO)
East Africa & Rhodesia - 17/6/54 - The news published in this paper that Commander F.T. Hare, chairman of the African Transport Company group was selling his shares to the British Electric Traction Co., Ltd., prior to retirement, calls attention to his courageous commercial pioneering. When he set out to provide omnibus services in East Africa 22 years ago, almost everyone told him that such ventures were bound to fail because practically all Europeans in the towns owned motor cars and Africans would not pay to travel when they could walk and save the fare. His reply was that development of the territories would rapidly increase the European, Asian and African population of the towns, that many of them would be glad to use public transport services, and that, from his experience gained in Devonshire, Jersey, Malta, and Cairo, he knew that he could operate buses efficiently and economically in Africa. So Kenya Bus Services Ltd., was formed in Nairobi in 1932 with 13 vehicles. The second, formed to serve Mombasa, began operations early in February, 1936. I remember the approximate date because, happening to arrive from Nairobi on the previous day, I was invited by Mr K.A. Brown, the managing director - who later became known throughout East Africa as "Bus" Brown - to be a passenger in the first bus.
DSO - London Gazette 17/4/17 - Temporary Major, Devonshire Regt. For conspicuous gallantry during a raid. It was largely owing to his initiative and courage that the operations met with such success. Previous to the raid he carried out two reconnaissances close to the enemy's wire, and brought back most valuable information.
Karen 50 - President of Karen CC in 1960/61
Gazette 8 Mar 1966 wife's probate
Gazette 12 June 1970 probate
Barnes Langata Cemetery, Nairobi :in loving memory / of / Kenneth Arrowsmith Brown / March 1878 - May 1970 and Dorothy Dec 1890-1 Oct 1965

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