 In 1899 he moved to East Africa to become auditor for the East Africa Protectorate and the Uganda Railway.He quickly rose to prominence, being made treasurer of the Protectorate in 1901, and was appointed to the newly instituted Legislative Council in 1907.He served Chief Secretary to the Government of the protectorate in 1911., remaining Chief Secretary if what was later transformed from a protectorate to be from 1920 the Colony and Protectorate of Kenya from 1911 until 1924, when he was appointed Governor of Nyasaland.