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The Mau Mau rebellion (1953)

It has been almost 69 years since the Mau Mau rebellion took place in Kenya. Many atrocities were committed by the British army in the African country, many of which included mass murder, the use of concentration (forced labor) camps by the British, and various torture methods.

Although the number of those killed during the rebellion is disputed by experts, they are estimated to be between 25,000 and 50,000 deaths, half of which were children aged 10 and below, and were due to malnutrition, starvation and disease.

One of the most well-known massacres that happened at the time, which was covered up by the British military, later came to be known as the Chuka massacre. It raised questions about the actions of the British forces operating in Kenya in the 1950s.

It is 2022, and Britain still refuses to own up to its atrocities.

In short, in the Chuka massacre, British soldiers attempting to clear the Chuka area of “rebel” activity, were searching a nearby forest with the help of two recently captured rebels. After torturing the rebels, the soldiers came upon a village on June 17, 1953, and a dispute broke out with the locals. The soldiers arrested 10 men, told them to lie face-down, and severely beat them. Later, they were taken to a camp and ordered to lie face-down again and were shot in the backs of their heads.

The following day, on June 18, the soldiers stole food from another group of civilians. When they protested, one of them was shot, and another 10 were taken captive: nine adults and a boy. They were taken near a farm and were killed by the British soldiers.

The villagers informed the authorities, but in the end, this only culminated in a light sentence of seven years’ imprisonment for the company’s commander, while none of the 12 other British men were tried.