Kleist Sykes (1894 - 1949) was a Tanganyikan political activist. He helped formed the Tanganyika African Association.Sykes was born in Pangani to father Sykes Mbuwane, a Zulu mercenary hired by the German Empire, and a Nyaturu mother. After his father died, Sykes moved with his godfather, Effendi Plantan, to Dar Es Salaam, and would later fight for the Germans in the First World War.After the war, Sykes worked for the Tanganyika Railway. He met Dr.