Peasent_Revolt_in_British_Africa

Amelia Carey November 6, 2009 at 12:07pm Fabola 4 71-75 Peasant Revolt in British East Africa: Kenya • In the early 1950s, violent anti- colonial protest erupted in Kenya, after year of oppression and exploitations by the British. • The radical nationalism that the colonist were feeling could best exemplified by the Mau Mau rebellion, which was against colonialism in Kenya from 1952-1956. • The Mau Mau rebellion was a response the many changes brought to the colonies by white settlers. The Land Acquisition act of 1896 and Land Ordinances of 1902 and 1915, redistributed the land in Kenya. It gave the white settlers the fertile profitable land and left many Kenyans landless, and in a disastrous economic state. The land that was left to Kenyans could be taken at any time. • Many Kenyans were left with no choice but to squat of European land, work on settler’s farms, and follow their demands. • Some Kenyans went to urban centers for work. Regardless of where they worked they made meager wages, heavily taxed, and were forced to work for Europeans. • Europeans had all the political power in Kenya, and had no intentions of sharing it. • Europeans were seen as inferior and racism was rampant in housing, education, employment, etc. • As a result of Britain being unwilling to change, protest erupted in 1920 and the Young Kikuyu Association (YKA), then it was followed by the Kikuyu Central Association. Then the Kenya Africa Union (KAU) was formed, it was Kenya’s first modern political organization, however no change occurred. • After WWII, Kenyan’s began to violently protest colonial rule, and attacked white land owners and colonial government workers • By 1952, colonial government banned all forms of anti- colonial expression, by October 1952, the colonial government proclaimed a state of emergency. The Mau Mau Uprising • The Mau Mau revolt was direct reaction to the colonial government ignoring the Kenyan people. • The revolt was ethnically based, by the Kikuyu (the racial majority), that suffered the worse under the British. Their main aim was regain their land. They were mostly landless peasants that were squatter until the the1937 Land Ordinance sent them to reservations. • The larger goal of the Mau Mau revolt was to completely eliminate colonization. • The Land and Freedom Army, attacked settlers farms and Kenyan ‘traitors’ in efforts to end colonialism. • The colonial government denounced the attacks. They charged Jomo Kenyatta, the leader of the KAU with the Mau Mau offense, and sentenced him to a seven year term. • The colonial government commissioned 100,000 soldiers, but was unable to eliminate the opposition, however they were able to slow it down. • They were able to cut off food supplies, forced mass arrest, and dwindling support eventually the rebellion. • The cost of the rebellion and the death toll was enormous. The Mau Mau lacked organization and proper leadership, enough weapons, and they were outnumbered. The Mau Mau was portrayed as evil and barbaric which prevented them from getting outside support. • The failure of the Mau Mau led to more mistreatment of the Kikuyu. They were treated with mistrust, they were prone to arrest and imprisonment, and they were often victims of retribution. • Its greatest legacy was that it help foster a great desire for united Kenyan Nation, Kenya did gain its independence in December of 1953.