"Are there issues in Kenya that have been triggered by British imperialism and still persist until this day? And if that is so, should the British feel guilty about their empire? Or can they be proud of it instead?" This blog is supposed to give you some answers to these questions as well as some insight to basic concepts and ideas about Africa in general. Read the questions and the comments that some Kenyan students have posted. Also have a look at the corresponding links on the right side.
2) Mau Mau
Can you explain what happened during the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya? How was this movement of protest against the colonial powers organized? What do you personally think about the Mau Mau freedom fighters?
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
The Mau Mau fighters hid in the forests and attacked white farmers and black collaborators of the colonial government. I think that these freedom fighters were heroes because I know how cold it is in the forests around Mount Kenya. It must have been really hard to live there.
The Mau Mau were a secret organisation whose goal was to drive the Europeans out of Kenya. They made people take an oath of allegiance that was somewhat like the following:
"I shall never betray anybody from this movement to the enemy, or this oath shall kill me. If I am called upon to kill a European, I shall do so or this oath shall kill me. If I am called upon to take up arms against my brother, I shall do so or this oath shall kill me. If I should fail to carry out any order that is given to me by a member of this movement, I shall know this oath will kill me. If I am called up to shed my blood for our soil, I shall do so, or this oath shall kill me. If I fail to observe any of these promises, may this oath kill me."
Oath-taking was important in the Kikuyu culture and people really believed in it. By using this oath the Mau Mau were able to scare people into committing the most cruel crimes against their own employers with which they have sometimes even been friends.
As has already been mentioned, the Mau Mau were a secret organisation trying to free Kenya from the colonialists. The Mau Mau fighters hid in the forest and came out only to get some food (of which there wasn’t much in the forest) or to raid European farms. When they attacked a farm they either stole food, set fire to farm buildings or mutilated the farmers’ cattle to scare the owner into leaving Kenya. Only few white people were actually killed during the attacks. They killed many more collaborators, that is Kenyans who were supporting the colonial government.
Maybe now the question arises: How could they do such hideous crimes?
I think one can argue that these attacks and murders might have been a cruel thing to do, but what else were they supposed to do? If peaceful resistance doesn't change anything, isn't it the most natural thing to take up arms? And if the enemy is so powerful, what else can you do but go underground and become a "terrorist"?
Can you explain what happened during the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya? How was this movement of protest against the colonial powers organized? What do you personally think about the Mau Mau freedom fighters?
3 comments:
The Mau Mau fighters hid in the forests and attacked white farmers and black collaborators of the colonial government. I think that these freedom fighters were heroes because I know how cold it is in the forests around Mount Kenya. It must have been really hard to live there.
The Mau Mau were a secret organisation whose goal was to drive the Europeans out of Kenya. They made people take an oath of allegiance that was somewhat like the following:
"I shall never betray anybody from this movement to the enemy, or this oath shall kill me.
If I am called upon to kill a European, I shall do so or this oath shall kill me.
If I am called upon to take up arms against my brother, I shall do so or this oath shall kill me.
If I should fail to carry out any order that is given to me by a member of this movement, I shall know this oath will kill me.
If I am called up to shed my blood for our soil, I shall do so, or this oath shall kill me.
If I fail to observe any of these promises, may this oath kill me."
Oath-taking was important in the Kikuyu culture and people really believed in it. By using this oath the Mau Mau were able to scare people into committing the most cruel crimes against their own employers with which they have sometimes even been friends.
As has already been mentioned, the Mau Mau were a secret organisation trying to free Kenya from the colonialists. The Mau Mau fighters hid in the forest and came out only to get some food (of which there wasn’t much in the forest) or to raid European farms. When they attacked a farm they either stole food, set fire to farm buildings or mutilated the farmers’ cattle to scare the owner into leaving Kenya. Only few white people were actually killed during the attacks. They killed many more collaborators, that is Kenyans who were supporting the colonial government.
Maybe now the question arises: How could they do such hideous crimes?
I think one can argue that these attacks and murders might have been a cruel thing to do, but what else were they supposed to do? If peaceful resistance doesn't change anything, isn't it the most natural thing to take up arms? And if the enemy is so powerful, what else can you do but go underground and become a "terrorist"?
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