印度與肯尼亞、烏干達和坦桑尼亞等東非國家存在著漫長的歷史聯系,特別是19世紀末以來,印度人隨著英國殖民者大量涌入東非地區。在東非殖民地種族體系之中,印度人扮演著"中間人"角色,構成了歐洲人和非洲人之間的緩沖力量,同時遭受著歐洲人和非洲人的排斥和仇視。東非國家獨立初期,非洲化政策對于印度人群體發展造成嚴重沖擊,大批印度人離開東非地區,印度人群體發展緩慢。冷戰結束以來,印度人迎來較為寬松的發展環境,但是伴隨著政治民主化進程而出現的土著話語也對印度人群體產生較大沖擊。總體而言,印度人在當今東非社會和經濟生活中仍然扮演著重要角色,逐漸為東非社會所包容和接納。

Historically,India has a long standing connection with East African countries such as Kenya,Uganda,and Tanzania. Particularly since the 1890s,East Africa has seen a large influx of Indian emigrants. In the tripartite racial system in East Africa,Indians played the role of "middlemen minority " in colonial society,as the buffering power between the Europeans and the Africans,and yet experienced hostility from both aforementioned groups. In the 1960s at the early stage of their independence, East African countries undertook Africanization policy,which led to enormous exodus of Indians from East Africa. Since the end of Cold War, political democratization and economic liberalization have provided a more favorable environment for the development of Indian communities. Nevertheless, the autochthony discourse that arose during the process of political democratization also had significant impact on the Indians in East Africa. To sum up,the Indian people still play an important role in East African social and economic life,as they are being gradually accepted by the local society.