What was the name of the uprising that took place in Kenya between 1952 and 1960?

The Mau Mau Uprising
The Mau Mau Uprising, a revolt against colonial rule in Kenya, lasted from 1952 through 1960 and helped to hasten Kenya’s independence.

What happened during the Mau Mau uprising?

British Army soldiers in the jungle in Kenya during the Mau Mau uprising in 1952 or 1953. The Mau Mau stepped up its attacks on European settlers and Kikuyu, culminating in the attack on the village of Lari in March 1953 in which 84 Kikuyu civilians, mainly women and children, were murdered.

Was the Mau Mau uprising an anti colonial rebellion?

The armed rebellion of the Mau Mau was the culminating response to colonial rule. Although there had been previous instances of violent resistance to colonialism, the Mau Mau revolt was the most prolonged and violent anti-colonial warfare in the British Kenya colony.

What did the Kenyans gain out of the uprising?

Kenya gained its independence from Britain with Jomo Kenyatta as the country’s first Prime Minister. The Union Jack was replaced by the black, red and green flag of the new nation.

Which event led to the declaration of the state of emergency in Kenya?

Chief Waruhiu of the Kikuyu tribe was killed by Mau Mau militants near Nairobi on October 7, 1952. The British government declared a state-of-emergency in Kenya on October 21, 1952. That same day, Jomo Kenyatta, president of the KAU, was arrested by British authorities.

What is the legacy of the Mau Mau rebellion?

The brutality of the Mau Mau rebellions shocked Britain, who had to deal with a ‘colonial paradise’ entering a bloody period of rebellion. For the small white settler population in Kenya, the climate of fear was palpable as Kenya began a vicious path towards decolonisation.

What were the causes of the Mau Mau rebellion?

The Mau Mau rebellion in 1952 was undeniably caused by the growing tensions between the Kikuyu and the white European settlers in Kenya. As a result to these poor living conditions, there was a huge increase in the number of Kikuyu migrating to the cities; leading to poverty, unemployment and overpopulation.

How many people died in the Kenya emergency?

Cost. Altogether, around 600 members of the security forces and nearly 2,000 civilians were killed during the Emergency, the vast majority of them African. Over 10,000 Mau Mau died. However, unofficial figures suggest a much larger number were killed in the counter-insurgency campaign.

What was the most famous uprising in Kenya?

The most notable include the Nandi Resistance of 1895–1905; the Giriama Uprising of 1913–1914; the women’s revolt against forced labour in Murang’a in 1947; and the Kolloa Affray of 1950. None of the armed uprisings during the beginning of British colonialism in Kenya were successful.

When did the Mau Mau Uprising start in Kenya?

Mau Mau were the militant wing of a growing clamour for political representation and freedom in Kenya. The first attempt to form a countrywide political party began on 1 October 1944.

What was the British response to the Kenyans?

Britain’s response was brutal: 150,000 Kenyans were detained in camps where, survivors claim, prisoners were beaten, tortured, sexually abused and even murdered. Fifty years on, a handful of them are suing the British government. By Chris McGreal It has been 50 years and there is much to remember.

How did Kenya become a colony in World War 1?

World War I ends and an influx of European settlers, many of whom are ex-soldiers, exacerbates the crisis surrounding land ownership in Kenya. The East African Protectorate becomes the crown colony of Kenya, administered by a British governor.