745R.00/10–1052
The Consul General at Nairobi (Dorsz) to the Department of State1
No. 81
Subject:
- Growing Concern over Mau Mau Activities
The wanton destruction of several hundred cattle belonging to European farmers in the Nyeri area and the assassination of a highly respected Kikuyu Senior Chief on the outskirts of Nairobi (Consulate General’s despatches No. 70 of October 22 and No. 77 of October 8, 1952)3 have brought to the attention of the general public in Nairobi the very serious nature of the Mau Mau activities among the Kikuyus. Ever since these events there exists a certain reluctance to face the facts on the part of the population not directly concerned, an attitude which was to a certain degree encouraged by the Government in playing down the importance of the situation when possible to do so.
However, after these two shocking occurrences it is not possible to ignore the growing boldness and defiance of the Mau Mau, and the inability of the Police so far to effectively deal with its anti-European campaign.
Reaction to the new developments among the European community has been varied. A few believe that the situation will continue to deteriorate and contemplate pulling up stakes to move elsewhere. Many of the “old settlers” criticize the Government for having been too easy in its treatment of the Africans. These frequently express the opinion that a sufficient show of force, with curfew restrictions, collective tribal fines and similar repressive measures will frighten the Kikuyus into good behavior. This group may be expected to press the Government more and more toward taking repressive action should conditions worsen—and there is good reason to believe they will. Indignation among this group concerning inadequate police protection in rural areas has led to threats of taking the law into their own hands if necessary.
[Page 347]As was pointed out in the Consulate General’s despatch No. 19 of August 1, 1952,4 police coverage in Kenya is very thinly spread. It is true that since the date of that despatch authorization has been obtained to increase the regular force by approximately 1,000 men. This will bring the total (of all races) on the force to slightly more than 7,000 when the new men have all been recruited and trained. There are in addition tribal police on the native reserves, but their usefulness in the present crisis is very questionable as those of the Kikuyus are believed to have been infiltrated by Mau Mau to a certain degree. Also there is the Kenya Police Reserve (volunteer and largely amateurs) who have been contributing auxiliary services during the last several months. Many of the Reserves are European farmers who have joined for the purpose of being able better to protect their own property.
In the last several months several hundred police have been transferred to Kikuyuland from quiet parts of the Colony. A large part of these are Somalis from the Northern Frontier District who despise the Kikuyus and enjoy “pushing them around”. Their usefulness was soon cut in half when it was found necessary for them to patrol in pairs.
Police efforts have been hampered by the fact that officials have very little information on the Mau Mau society. Even the extent of membership among Africans can apparently only be guessed, with “official” guesses ranging from 10% to 50% of the Kikuyus having taken the Mau Mau oath. Police authorities admit that they have been unable, to infiltrate the Mau Mau with informants because of the fear of Kikuyus of being killed if they inform the police. Because the Mau Mau has adherents so widely spread, informers have soon been found out and many have paid with their lives.
Arbitrary methods used by the police are also playing into the hands of the Mau Mau by alienating the good-will of the law-abiding Africans. Several instances of this have come to the attention of the Consulate General. The servant of one Officer was gratuitously knocked about by a European police officer in an investigation of a theft. A Jaluo employee of USIE had his house searched without a warrant (apparently as part of one of the police “drives” through an African quarter). Several of his books, including an American textbook on economics, were temporarily confiscated. The same employee was later stopped and asked to produce the purchase receipt for his bicycle—which he had bought six years before. An old resident of Karen, a Nairobi suburb, states that the Police Inspector there customarily has suspects beaten up a bit before questioning them, in order to “loosen their tongues”. A sufficient amount of this type of police action, coupled with the fear of retaliation which Mau Mau has instilled among law-abiding Africans is going to make the work of the police [Page 348] more difficult. On the other hand, the cook of another officer has been convicted of participating in a Mau Mau oath ceremony.
With regard to the new legislation recently enacted by Legislative Council,5 it is too early yet to evaluate its usefulness in strengthening the hand of the police. If wisely handled, several of the new ordinances should facilitate the conviction of persons accused of Mau Mau activities. However, by continuing to commit individual criminal acts over the wide area of Kikuyuland, rather than to have a mass type of uprising, the Mau Mau may be able to carry on such a campaign of attrition that the policing task might become so burdensome as to drive out at least part of the European settlement. If the police are able to uncover the top leadership of the Mau Mau and apprehend it, the movement would doubtless wither away to only a nuisance. However, the police have not as yet been able to make any progress in that direction.
There has been speculation concerning the possible tie between Mau Mau and International Communism. Continuous efforts of the Government have not yet uncovered any evidence of such a connection. However, several well informed unofficial Europeans here say they are convinced that such a connection must exist, either through local Asians, by way of South Africa, Great Britain or through other intermediaries. Whether or not such a connection exists, the success of Mau Mau in Kenya works to the benefit of International Communism in creating another focus of unrest in the Western sphere. Likewise, it could be captured by the Communists at a later date.
To date, the vast majority of the Europeans in Kenya have reacted with a remarkable amount of calmness, tolerance and patience to the outbreak of Mau Mau violence. While in our view the Government was complacent until several weeks ago, we are encouraged by the steps the Government is now taking to meet the immediate need of restoring law and order.
The economic conditions existing in the Colony are such as must breed unrest among the Africans. The racial division of the wealth has now been aggravated by an inflationary spiral which only serves to make the division of wealth (European) and poverty (African) more extreme. This is happening at a time when the Kikuyu is in growing numbers becoming a wage earner instead of a subsistence farmer, and with Government encouragement is becoming politically conscious. Certainly agitators of any ability should have good chances of success under these circumstances.
To the credit of the European community as a whole (although it may be a fatal weakness), there is a realization that the African has a number of real grievances and is justified in not accepting the status [Page 349] quo with complacency. The successful British business man here—the typical member of the 100% European Nairobi Rotary Club—has this on his conscience. Although he is reluctant to admit it to himself (for most “have never had it so good”), he knows that his little Paradise in Africa cannot last for very long, at least in its present condition.
The concern of the European community, both Government and settler—although their viewpoints vary radically—is over the peaceful integration of the Africans into the political and economic life of the Colony. In this they are confronted with the appalling lack of responsible educated leadership among the Africans. They have largely failed to develop a corps of educated leaders to take the place of the illiterate old tribal chiefs who are now becoming obsolete as tribal life and customs break down in the path of European civilization, leaving the field open for demagogues to exploit both the real and fancied grievances of the native population—which sees such glaring economic inequalities existing for reasons which he cannot comprehend.
While the tone of this despatch is pessimistic, we believe that the political situation here is serious and likely to deteriorate, at least in the near future.
- Repeated for information to London.↩
- Not printed; it summarized events in British East Africa between Sept. 17 and Oct. 1, 1952 and noted the murder of three headmen in the Nyeri district. (745P.00/10–252)↩
- Not printed; it reported the killing of Chief Waruhieu Kungu. (745R.00/10–852)↩
- Not printed.↩
- The Government introduced nine bills intended to suppress subversive organizations in the Legislative Council on Sept. 25, and of these, eight had been passed and one referred to Select Committee when the Council adjourned on Oct. 1.↩