Mau Mau the Revolutionary, Anti-Imperialist Force from Kenya: 1948-1963
Mau Mau the Revolutionary, Anti-Imperialist Force from Kenya: 1948-1963

Author: Shiraz Durrani

Publisher: African Books Collective

Published: 2018-08-03

Total Pages: 155

ISBN-13: 9966189084

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Very few countries hide or obscure the significance of their most important historical achievements. Kenya has managed to do so without any regrets or even a thought about the implication of such a major oversight in connection with Mau Mau Resistance. The reason for this underplay is not difficult to understand. The government that came to power at independence was not only not part of the Mau Mau movement which fought for land and freedom for working people, but actively opposed it. It sought and was given by the departing colonial power state power, land and freedom for its class, thereby sidelining the radical resistance movement and its activists. This elite then used its state power to ensure that the nation forgets its radical history which would have alerted future generations to the theft of their inheritance and country. This book provides essential facts about Mau Mau. It seeks to give voice to the Mau Mau resistance fighters. It is aimed at young people who were born after independence and who have been deprived of their historical heritage; it is also a tribute to those who played a part in the war of independence and in Mau Mau without whose contribution independence would have remained a dream. It seeks to restore Kenyas working class history of resistance to colonialism and imperialism. The Kenya Resists Series covers different aspects of resistance by people of Kenya to colonialism and imperialism. It reproduces material from books, unpublished reports, research and oral or visual testimonies. The three aspects chosen for the first three publications in the Series Mau Mau, Trade Unions and Peoples Resistance make up the three pillars of resistance of the people of Kenya.

Mau Mau the Revolutionary, Anti-Imperialist Force from Kenya: 1948-1963
Mau Mau the Revolutionary, Anti-Imperialist Force from Kenya: 1948-1963

Author: Durrani, Shiraz

Publisher: Vita Books

Published: 2018-08-03

Total Pages: 155

ISBN-13: 9966804021

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Very few countries hide or obscure the significance of their most important historical achievements. Kenya has managed to do so without any regrets or even a thought about the implication of such a major oversight in connection with Mau Mau Resistance. The reason for this underplay is not difficult to understand. The government that came to power at independence was not only not part of the Mau Mau movement which fought for land and freedom for working people, but actively opposed it. It sought – and was given by the departing colonial power – state power, land and freedom for its class, thereby sidelining the radical resistance movement and its activists. This elite then used its state power to ensure that the nation forgets its radical history which would have alerted future generations to the theft of their inheritance and country. This book provides essential facts about Mau Mau. It seeks to give voice to the Mau Mau resistance fighters. It is aimed at young people who were born after independence and who have been deprived of their historical heritage; it is also a tribute to those who played a part in the war of independence and in Mau Mau without whose contribution independence would have remained a dream. It seeks to restore Kenya’s working class history of resistance to colonialism and imperialism. The Kenya Resists Series covers different aspects of resistance by people of Kenya to colonialism and imperialism. It reproduces material from books, unpublished reports, research and oral or visual testimonies. The three aspects chosen for the first three publications in the Series – Mau Mau, Trade Unions and People’s Resistance – make up the three pillars of resistance of the people of Kenya.

Mau Mau
Mau Mau

Author: Maina wa Kĩnyattĩ

Publisher:

Published: 2009-04-27

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781439237076

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THE NAME MAU MAUOn may 12, 1950 thirty-nine Kenyan farm workers were arrested in Naivasha. They were accused of belonging to a secret organization whose political aim was to drive the British occupiers out of Kenya by violent means. They were brutally tortured by the colonial police, but they stubbornly refused to reveal the aims and the name of the clandestine movement. Nineteen of them, 15 men and 4 women, were brought to court and charged with membership in an unlawful society. They were jailed for seven years each. It was a kangaroo trial trial. The judge and prosecutor were colonialists; the interpreter was an indigenous traitor.During the trial one of the accused, Magrougi ole Kodogoya, under cross-examinations on the dock, absolutely refused to to cooperate with the colonial prosecutor. repeatedly, he was asked by the prosecutor to explain to the judge how he was recruited into the underground movement, as well as the aims and the name of the secret movement and the methods used to make him a member, but he refused to answer the questions put to him directly. Instead, he told the kangaroo judge that because of his commitment and dedication to the movement and the love for his country he would never reveal "maundu mau mau" (those, those things) the leadership of the movement told him not to reveal to the government. He would die first before he betrayed the movement.The colonial press, confused by the statement, but seeking the way to characterize the clandestine movement, seized upon the words "mau Mau (those, those) as the name of the movement. Further, the press explained that the aim of the movement was to overthrow the British rule in the country by armed struggle and establish an African government. To be a member of the movement, the imperialist press added, one must take a Mau Mau oath.This is how the name "Mau Mau" entered the political dictionary of Kenya's anti-imperialist resistance.Significantly, the name "Mau Mau" has been immortalized by the Kenyan people because it symbolizes their collective heroism against foreign domination and their undying love for freedom, liberty and justice. In other words, it has become synonymous with Kenyan national patriotism, anti-imperialism, military acumen, and most importantly, popular democratic revolution.

Never Be Silent
Never Be Silent

Author: Durrani, Shiraz

Publisher: Vita Books

Published: 2016-11-25

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 1869886054

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“We will never be silent until we get land to cultivate and freedom in this country of ours” …so sang Mau Mau activists. The struggle for independence in Kenya was waged at many levels. Never be Silent explores how this struggle was reflected in the communications field. It looks at publishing activities of the main contending forces and explores internal contradictions within each community. It documents the major part played by the communications activities of the organised working class and Mau Mau in the achievement of independence in Kenya. The book contributes to a reinterpretation of colonial history in Kenya from a working class point of view and also provides a new perspective on how communications can be a weapon for social justice in the hands of liberation forces.

Mau Mau Rebellion
Mau Mau Rebellion

Author: Hourly History

Publisher:

Published: 2020-10-26

Total Pages: 48

ISBN-13:

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Discover the remarkable history of the Mau Mau Rebellion...The Mau Mau Rebellion took place in Kenya, beginning in 1952. A group of native Kenyan peoples, mostly from the Kikuyu tribe, rose up against their British colonizers, who had held the region since 1895. With a complicated story, it can be difficult to place the Mau Mau Uprising within the larger history of Kenyan nationalism and nationhood. Regardless of nuance, though, its importance in the history of Kenya, Africa, and British colonialism cannot be understated. This is the complete history of the Mau Mau Rebellion. Discover a plethora of topics such as Background and Causes The Desire for Freedom The British Respond: Operation Anvil Brutality and War Crimes The End of the Rebellion Legacy And much more! So if you want a concise and informative book on the Mau Mau Rebellion, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access!

Mau Mau From Within
Mau Mau From Within

Author: Karari Njama

Publisher:

Published: 2021-01-16

Total Pages: 412

ISBN-13: 9781988832593

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Mau Mau from Within is told by Karari Njama, a school teacher who was directly involved in the struggles for freedom from colonial rule, to anthropologist Donald L Barnett. As the late Basil Davidson put it: "Njama writes of the forest leaders' efforts to overcome dissension, to evolve effective tactics, to keep discipline (including sexual discipline) and mete out justice ... His narrative is crowded with excitement. Those who know much of Africa and those who know little will alike find it compulsive reading. Some 10,000 Africans died fighting in those years . Here, in the harsh detail of everyday experience, are the reasons why." Originally published as Mau Mau From Within: An analysis of Kenya's Peasant Revolt, it is a story of courage, passion, heroism, combined with recounting of colonial terror, brutality and betrayal. Far from being just an analysis of a peasant revolt, this is the inside story of the struggles of Kenya's Land and Freedom Army told from within by a person who worked closely with Dedan Kimathi. This new expanded edition includes new commentary by Karari Njama, and contributions from Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Micere Githae Mugo as well as a statement from Gitu Wa Kahengeri, Secretary General of the Mau Mau War Veterans Association.

The Kenya Socialist Volume 7
The Kenya Socialist Volume 7

Author: Shiraz Durrani

Publisher: African Books Collective

Published: 2021-01-12

Total Pages: 35

ISBN-13: 9914970141

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The year 2023 saw one of the latest genocides in modern times - that of the people of Palestine by Israel. People born in the last or this century find it difficult to understand how such genocides in the past were allowed to take place at all, so barbarous an action this is. Yet the current genocide continues unabated, despite the millions of people around the world demanding an end to it. This exposes the real nature of capitalism and imperialism. It is in this situation that issue no 7 of The Kenya Socialist focuses on the Palestine Question. Articles include The Palestine Question, Claim to be Pan-Africanist? Until Everyone is Free, Zionism and the Myth of Democracy. The title of the Editorial is ‘We are all Palestinians’. Another article examines why ‘the struggle for Palestine is the struggle of working people worldwide’, showing the class and imperialist background to the genocide. The issue ends with solidarity statements from Kenyan organisations and a book review. It carries a number of illustrations on the struggle.

Constimocrazy
Constimocrazy

Author: Nsah Mala

Publisher: African Books Collective

Published: 2024-01-12

Total Pages: 113

ISBN-13: 9914970168

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The lyrical pessimism of Nsah Mala's poetry presents a world characterized by violence, inhumanity and destruction, a world that is sadly too familiar. While many of the poems address contemporary issues in the poet's native Cameroon, much of the human-inflicted damage they describe is not limited to 'Cam-Kingdom'. Although much of the content is negative, many of the poems contain questions. These questions express the cynical voice of this politically committed poet, but behind them lies the distant possibility of a better version of the world in which values of love, peace and unity reign: 'Don't we know,' the poet asks, 'that violence is out of fashion?' - Professor Nicki Hitchcott, University of St Andrews, UK

A Struggle of sixty-two days
A Struggle of sixty-two days

Author: Shiraz Durrani

Publisher: African Books Collective

Published: 2024-02-14

Total Pages: 133

ISBN-13: 9914970125

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The Annual General Meeting of the Labour Trade Union of Kenya in Sept 1936 fixed Oct 1936 for implementation of the eight-hour day .. In December 1936, the Union gave notices to employers that all wages should be increased by 25% from April 1937. The strike began on 1 April, 1937. It was a complete strike. A strike-committee was formed, picketing was organised, a free kitchen was started .. the decision was popularised through handbills, meetings in residential areas, works-discussions and public announcements (preceded by ringing of a large bell), in the the main thoroughfares of Nairobi, and daily mass meetings. The campaign created a new spirit among workers. The employers were at last compelled to reach a settlement. They agreed to wage-increase of 15-22%, to an eight-hour day and reinstatement of all workers. The workers resumed work on 2 June, 1937. - Makhan Singh (1969) Thus ended the longest, and the most successful, strike in the history of Kenya. But the sacrifices, the actions and the reality of the strike for workers is not captured by history books. Nor are the organisation by the East African Trade Union Congress and the role of its leader, Makhan Singh, fully understood. In going on strike for sixty-two days, the workers showed their industrial and political power, unmatched to this day. Shiraz Durrani's A Struggle of Sixty-Two Days is a welcome addition to a growing backlist of drama texts that draw on the rich and often hidden history of East Africa. A Struggle of Sixty-Two-Days sets itself apart from the tradition of historical plays before it by eschewing the use of a singular heroic figure to centre the drama. Instead, the play deliberately delivers the texture of the lived realities, skills and experiences of the workers who made a success of the longest and most consequential strike in the country's history, but also acknowledges the collaboration and support they drew from the people against the backdrop of the imperialist, racist and colonial era The 1937 strike would not only deliver an eight-hour working day as a right, besides wage increases, but would also be the seeding for mobilising the people of Kenya to challenge injustice and launch the fight for freedom. It is a struggle that pits the might of imperialist capital against the survival instincts of the oppressed and their quest for justice. The scenery and dialogue transport the reader back to 1937, but its echoes still ring true in continuing present-day clashes between labour and exploitative capital. - Kwamchetsi Makokha

Trade Union Studies in the UK and Kenya
Trade Union Studies in the UK and Kenya

Author: Nigel Flanagan

Publisher: African Books Collective

Published: 2024-07-02

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 9914970109

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Nigel Flanagan brings a distinct perspective to the problems of trade union organising. In this account he draws on his own experiences as an activist, shop steward, strike organiser and working for the global union UNI. The book has be very well received and after six impressions this revised and enlarged edition is also being published in a Kenyan version with our partners, Vita Books - Nick Wright. Nigel Flanagan's Our Trade Unions: What Comes Next? was first published in Britain in early 2023 at the height of the country's inflationary crisis, when basic food costs were increasing by up to 20 per cent and energy by far more. Workers were fighting, through their trade unions, to protect their living standards and local services from the biggest attack for a century. This new Kenyan edition of Flanagan's book is, therefore, doubly welcome because it provides real life substance to these links. The chapters from Shiraz Durrani, himself a veteran of these struggles, reveal how far the movements of resistance to colonial rule were rooted in, and largely sprang from, the trade union movement in the 1920s and 30s. The importance of the contribution from Shiraz Durrani is that he places this resistance squarely in the special circumstances required for capitalist exploitation to take place in Kenya... Resistance demands mass-based political trade unions. This is why Kenya's experience and that of other African nations is of relevance not just to workers in Africa but those who wish to rebuild the workers' movement internationally. But this process must be political. It cannot be simply that of 'organising'. As Shiraz Durrani stresses, 'without a vision of achieving equality and justice, unions remain merely to make capitalism more acceptable to workers'- John Foster