Do you remember or are you old enough to have learned about the Kenyan fight for independence and the Mau Mau Rebellion? As a teenager in Britain in the 1950s I read about this rebellion and how brutal were these MauMau At that time, we didn’t have 24-hour media coverage and relied on print newspapers, the TV News for those of us lucky to have the newly introduced television, and the news shown in every cinema, after God Save the King was sung standing and before the movie (we called them films) started. . But the news was sparse; we heard of Britain’s victories and were aware of the names of some of the leaders of the rebellion, Jomo Kenyatta and J.M. Kariuki, But mostly we heard of the atrocities performed by some of the MauMau. We didn’t hear what our troops were inflicting on ‘the enemy’.
I have been thinking about this period in what has become my history. Of Britain colonising whole countries, displacing the indigenous people, and imposing their will on the populace in the bid to rule the world. We knew of and sang Rule Britannia.
And then I remembered a movie I saw in 2011 called Taken for Granted. In this movie, we were introduced to the brutality of the British soldiers. Not all, but many.
The story of an 84-year-old man, Kimani Ng’ang’a Maruge an ex-fighter for the cause who wanted the opportunity to learn. The Kenyan Government announced free education for all in 2003 and this old man decided to take up the offer. But hundreds of children were jostling for a few places in the school nearest to his village and his application was rejected. He was desperate to learn to read at this late stage in his life and felt he must have the chance at the education so long denied to him and his generation—even if it meant sitting in a classroom alongside six-year-old children. As he said he fought for freedom and now he felt entitled.
Kimani Ng’ang’a Maruge made headlines in media around the world and still holds the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s oldest primary school pupil. He said he thought that he was born in 1920 but of course, there were no records kept. I was so moved by this film that I wrote a long post on it and education in general.- Taken for Granted.
But this post is not to revisit that movie and that old man. I have worried about and read about colonisation and how the British achieved control of the enormous areas in the world painted red. “From the 18th to the 20th centuries, Britain was revered as “the empire on which the sun never sets” to signify its vastness. It is estimated that Britain controlled 25 percent of the earth landmass, which meant that there was always daylight in one of its territories. ” via Wikipedia.
The post Taken for Granted attracted several interesting and supportive comments, but the one that lingers years later is this one from my late sister –
Christine in Los Angeles
| October 21, 2011 at 12:56 | Reply | Edit
Judith, I remember that in 1952 or 1953 (?) Sylvia and I went to a conference, for teens in school, on the “MauMau problem”. I remember there were two young black men, that we were told were MauMau, wearing legirons and hand-chains. Very degrading! but we accepted the explanation that they were dangerous men.
So, why were they in a meeting hall, with hundreds of 16 and 17-year-olds?
We returned to school, after a two-day conference, to make a report to the other students.
I want to think torture was only on the other side – Brits were the good guys. I know that’s not the case, but I’m an idealist.
Love you lots.
God bless, Christine
At the time it was obviously considered an. acceptable way to educate (read indoctrinate) young minds.
And now as the sun sets on a colonised part of the world, I am off to read more about that period. Surely there must have been things we were doing right.
Ah Mr Baldacci, if only.
A serious post for today. A usual lighthearted one will no doubt follow.
I choose how I will spend the rest of my life 