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Land Freedom Army - Coggle Diagram
Land Freedom Army
Grievances of KCA
Mainly Land grievances, when Kenyatta returned to kenya in sept 1946, first strings of rebellion occurred.
They were industrious and able people with a deep attachment to land, 1mill population, largest tribe and fast expanding.
living close to nairobi, surrounded by white highlands, felt most impact of colonial rule, 100 square miles alienated for europeans
Land in riftvalley was made clear for white occupation removing pastoral maasai people. Kikuyu peasants emigrated there to use vast undeveloped areas for themselves too.
Kikuyu Squatters were welcomed by white farmers you needed regular supply of labour, system of labour tendancy emerged, payed rent.
Squatters managed to survive as independent producers, mid 40's population of kikuyu squatters rose to 250,000, 1/4 of Kikuyu people
Postwar-developments
Squatters community under threat, British wanted more land for economic growth and only wanted wage labourers, thus imposed tight restrictions on their activities, caused displacement.
British gov. added to pressure, set aside quarter of a mill acres for ex-servicemen. 8k immigrants arrived in kenya after WW2, bringing total white pop to 40k.
Loss of land, communities and land meant resistance campaign.
binding themselves together in secret oaths, for social purposes. KCA leaders impressed in 1920 by British oath of loyalty to Kikuyu people.
Members of banned KCA, meeting in secret, devised new oath of loyalty using only kikuyu symbols.
Oathing campaign spread throughout the squatters in rift valley community, white farmers reported a mood of increasing trulence and incidents of cattle-maiming and sabotage
Kenyatta
Kenyatta came back and immediately took control of the KAU, he wanted a piece of kikuyu land, bought some land there build a house and married into the most influential family in souther kikuyu land.
Githunguri head quarters appointed a principal of independent teachers, training school. Wanted KAU to become nationalist movement. Mass support he won came from Kikuyu tribe, as did its leadership. Amongst them that the anger towards gov. and whites was most intense
Economic situation
terrible living conditions: unemployment, poor housing, low wages, inflation discontent and worsening crime
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Kenyatta
Kenyatta came back and immediately took control of the KAU, he wanted a piece of kikuyu land, bought some land there build a house and married into the most influential family in souther kikuyu land.
Githunguri head quarters appointed a principal of independent teachers, training school. Wanted KAU to become nationalist movement. Mass support he won came from Kikuyu tribe, as did its leadership. Amongst them that the anger towards gov. and whites was most intense
Squatters in rift valley on the verge of rebellion, growing resentment of new conservation methods enforced by the gov. to prevent degradation, adding to old griviences over 'lost land' and restrictions on African production of lucrative cash like coffee.
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State of emergency
Assasinations of leading KAU moderates, Tom Mbotela, nairobi councellor and chief , declared state of emergency in 20th Oct 1952.
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Kenyatta was a Kenya nationalist not a kikuyu nationalist. But was initially called the leader of maumau.
Kenya was put on trial as the leader of mau mai. However, he represented the KAU which had political objective of non-violent constitution at gradualist form. Mau mau had same political aim but was violent.
There was no link between mau mau and Kau. Kenyatta knew very little of what was happening in the mau mau central committee. There had only been one cooperation where they met in KAY headquarters to agree and discontinue holding public meetings to denounce the mau mau
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The LFA (Mau mau), landless young men, opposed the demands of colonial rule and communal labour.
ex-servicemen who fought in China called themselves the 'general china', led the fighters in Mt Kenya.