Nationalism in Kenya Flashcards
1
Q
How did land cause the Mau Mau Rebellion?
A
- From 1901 European settlers had simply taken Kenyan land, despite the concept of githaka (ancestral ownership) meaning it belonged to the Kenyans
- 1915 Crown Land Ordinance: divided land by race – whites were given the most fertile land in the ‘White Highlands’ while Kenyans were restricted to reservations
- British forces had displaced over 1 million Kenyans by WW2 1 in 8 Kikuyu were ‘squatters’ on white land
2
Q
What were the economic causes?
A
- Africans were banned from growing the most profitable crops e.g. tea, coffee, sisal - 1934 Native Grown Coffee Rules meant Kenyans couldn’t grow coffee without a permit
- Kikuyu would earn only 1/5 of what whites earned for the same amount of work
3
Q
How did living conditons cause the rebellion?
poverty + lack of freedom
A
- Land issues meant there was a huge increase in the number of Kikuyu migrating to the cities; leading to poverty, unemployment and overpopulation
- 80,000 Africans lived in the squalid slums of eastern Nairobi. This population was poor, usually supporting itself through organised crime and had strong trade union presence
- In 1921 every male Kenyan had to get registered, finger printing, and issued with a Kipande (certificate) - had to show it to any official upon request - used to monitor their movement and prevent labourers from escaping
4
Q
What were the political causes?
A
- Africans tried to form groups that campaigned for greater land rights for Kenyans e.g. East African Association in 1921 but was banned the next year
- 5 million Kenyans vs 29,000 Europeans but the 1951 Legislative Council was made up of just 4 Kenyans and 11 Europeans
5
Q
How did WW2 act as the trigger?
A
75,000 Kenyans fought in World War II - returned with high expectations of investing their wartime savings but conservative chiefs blocked these opportunities in order to save all economic and political opportunities for themselves and their allies. This forced veterans to turn to crime and militant politics
6
Q
How was it violent in nature?
A
- ‘Killing Oath’ - pledged to get rid of Europeans and any Africans who stood in their way
- September 1952: Joseph Kabunja was beaten to death for refusing the oath. Mau Mau forced members of his village to dig up his body, hack it to pieces and rub his bloody flesh on their bodies
- 1953 Lari Massacre: homestead of loyalist chief Luka and his village were burnt down - 97 killed
7
Q
How was it nationalist?
A
- Oathing was a big part of Kenyan culture - those who took it were promised land Europeans would be thrown out of
- Kimathi Charter demanded African self government in Kenya and rejected foreign laws in Kenya
8
Q
How was it organised?
A
- By late 1953 there were 24,000 fighters in the Land and Freedom Army, at the Mwathe Conference they were organised into 8 armies
- September 1953: Mau Mau organised African boycott of Nairobi buses, European beer, and cigarettes
9
Q
Was it a mass movement?
A
- By late 1953 there were 24,000 fighters in the Land and Freedom Army
- Many women and children joined Mau Mau fighters in the forest. Women would often wrap bullets around the thighs of their infants, tie the child onto their back, and deliver the bullets to the forest edge
10
Q
British collective punishment?
A
- April 1954 Operation Anvil: entire population of east Nairobi was moved to temporary camps - 700 ‘hardcore’ Mau Mau identified but 50,000 civillians had been displaced and 24,000 men imprisoned without trial
- June 1954 ‘villagisation’: 1 million Kenyans forced to burn their homes
11
Q
British violent response?
A
- Teams made up settlers, British officers, and loyalists demanded confessions and intelligence - broken bottles, knives, snakes, vermin and hot eggs were thirst up men’s rectums and women’s vaginas
- Prisoners at Hola Camp frequently resisted work. On 3rd March 1959 11 prisoners were clubbed to death by British guards
12
Q
Indirect British response?
A
- Many conservative Kikuyu who benefited from British rule opposed the Mau Mau and formed the ‘Home Guard’. The British formally acknowledged them. The Home Guard were responsible for 42% of all Mau Mau killed
- Emergency Powers Regulation: made taking the killing oath or being a Mau Mau member punishable by death - between 1952 and 1958 1090 Kikuyu were hanged
- 21st October 1952: Operation Jock Scott - Kenyatta and 180 other identified Mau Mau leaders were arrested. Kenyatta and 5 others were charged, there was no convincing evidence but Judge Thacker was paid £20,000 to find them guilty - sentenced to 7 years imprisonment
13
Q
How did the Mau Mau fail?
A
- Just 32 white settlers were killed in 8 years of emergency
- 90,000 Kenyans were executed, tortured, or maimed and 160,000 were detained in appalling conditions
14
Q
Economic success following the Mau Mau?
A
- Swynnerton Plan created landholdings large enough for families to sustain themselves and removed restrictions on Africans producing cash crops - value of output from small-holdings rose from £5.2 million in 1955 to £14 million in 1964
- According to the 1954 Carpenter Committee Report: between 1955 - 1964 the average annual wage of African workers doubled from £52 to £107
15
Q
Social success following Mau Mau?
A
- 1962 One Million Acre Scheme settled 35,000 families on over one million acres of land
- July 1962: new policy stated meant that settlers would receive a full cash payment when the land is bought and would have the right to choose where to be paid; London or Kenya - benefited white settlers but still addressed Kenyan land hunger
