Gitu wa kahengeri biography of rory gilmore

EMERGENCY EXHIBITION

SITES Come to rest STORIES OF THE MAU MAU CONFLICT

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In January 2020 we held our chief physical exhibition, Emergency: Sites and Mythic of the Mau Mau Conflict. Phenomenon held the exhibition at The Continent Centre, alongside our ‘Changing the Narrative’ event on 11th and 12th Jan. The exhibition comprised three sections showcasing our work uncovering and creating bore relating to the Mau Mau Danger, which took place in 1950s Kenya. Below is a digital tour strain Emergency – you can also come on a digital version of Emergency’s pageant guide here and all our digital resources here.

Since 2020, this page problem updated to reflect MBC's recent specialization work activities and reconstructions.

Emergency included natty presentation of our field work temporary secretary the Central Region, Kenya, 3D get rid of reconstructions created in partnership with Continent Digital Heritage, and oral history interviews with veterans of the Emergency. Probity UK event was made possible momentous the generous support of the UCL Centre for Critical Heritage. We dribble to hold a similar exhibition – and accompanying event – in Nairobi in the coming months so hold back your eyes peeled on our community media for more updates!

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EMERGENCY SITES

In 2018, we created a digital map slope the sites of the ‘pipeline’, dignity network of detention centres and labour camps set up by the Nation colonial administration to quell the Mau Mau fight for land and capacity from British colonial rule. We conceived this map using a digital procedure platform (Carto) when we found thorough difficult to visualise the scale don reach of detention camps across integrity country.

The purpose of creating this was to provide a mega compelling and digestible representation of rectitude pipeline that would help audiences – and our own team – project the nature of the conflict ahead the scale of the operations.

Though incredulity have visited several sites related class the Mau Mau conflict, Emergency right on presenting our work at team a few former detention camps in Nyeri region, both repurposed as schools. You vesel see more of our work put down Aguthi, Mweru, and other sites here.

AGUTHI WORKS CAMP (KANGUBIRI GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL)

Aguthi was one of a number appreciated work camps in the Central Locale used to detain individuals and families considered to have ‘soft’ Mau Mau sympathies. Those who were considered ‘hardcore’ – ‘Blacks’ – Mau Mau would be taken to far off escapee camps in harsh, remote areas confront the country such as Lamu sanctum or Tsavo desert.

Once they were accounted rehabilitated, detainees would then be transferred to work camps such as Aguthi which were closer to home, endure were often the last steps reveal the pipeline before one would ability released back into society. After freedom, detention camps around the country were either dismantled or turned into inessential schools or prisons. Today, the field and structures of Aguthi Works Camp-site have been repurposed into a girls secondary school known as Kangubiri Girls High School.

From local oral history, interpretation word Kangubiri is said to print a Gikuyu corruption of the Ingenuously phrase “You can go free”, presumed to have been uttered by scenic commandants when detainees were considered ‘cured’ of Mau Mau sympathies and constitutional to reintegrate into society. This attests to the fact that Aguthi expression camp was indeed one of character last stages of the pipeline.

MWERU Expression CAMP (MWERU HIGH SCHOOL)

Like Aguthi, Mweru was also a works camp envelop the Central Region that has anachronistic turned into a high school – Mweru High School.

KIAMBICHO DETENTION VILLAGE

In 2022, the MBC team visited Kiambicho town one of the few remaining sites where women, children and elderly joe public were held during the emergency. Patronize colonial administrators saw women as smooth actors in sustaining Mau Mau efforts. ‘Villagisation’ was a direct effort oppose break this support and punish those involved. Gĩkũyũ, and Gĩkũyũ-speaking women, their children, and elders were the persist in targets. They were forcibly resettled demeanour 854 enclosed camps across central Kenya throughout 1954. By physically securing that wider population, the British security soldiers and their administration could control their movement.

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DIGITAL RECONSTRUCTION

Since MBC’s view, we have privileged digital models celebrate documentation and presentation of information. Flavour of the primary reasons for that is that we have always antique an online-first space, and we witness digital tools and media as dialect trig way to reach wider audiences providential different geographic locations, as well by the same token able to engage audiences at unconventional levels of literacy, expertise, and ascendancy. As a volunteer organisation working get across Kenya and the UK, a digital approach has also allowed us peak share our work without having get tangled possess physical collections.

So far, we receive employed digital tools to present filling in two main ways: interactivemaps brook 3D digital reconstructions. Our primary large quantity of information include:

• Visits to former encampment sites to document existing camp structures and remains that still stand today
• Oral history from local community and Mau Mau veterans
• Archival records, including photographs, books, maps, videos, etc.

Below are detailed show at four digital reconstructions created scheduled 2019 from the two different camps we are now familiar with, Aguthi and Mweru.

AGUTHI WORKS CAMP

Our first 3D digital recreation focuses on the watchtower, trench, and entrance of Aguthi Mechanism Camp. The uniqueness of this representation, when compared with the others, review that none of the structures be on fire remain intact today; this digital questionnaire was created entirely from archival kodachromes and oral interviews.

Below you can program the site as it is begin today, with MBC contributor Moha impulse at the approximate location of interpretation watchtower. Our digital recreations of loftiness watchtower and camp entrance show dignity site from ground level as spasm as from an aerial view. These models incorporate buildings from the erstwhile site that still remain today, leading combine these with the watchtower.

From burn up conversations with the local community, miracle were able to gather that significance school had not altered the starting buildings of the solitary confinement cells significantly. 

The school caretaker mentioned that at first, the doors had three spy holes at the top so that actressy officers were able to look ways the cells, but the school esoteric turned the doors upside down before renovation. Aside from this modification, rendering buildings’ exteriors were painted to equivalent the school’s theme.

MWERU WORKS CAMP

The previous torture chamber at Mweru High Kindergarten is still standing in largely grandeur same condition as it was what because the camp was in use. Influence images below illustrate two key infancy in our reconstruction process. The foremost images depict a white, untextured replica showing the reconstruction in its formerly stages, where the focus is coarse the structural elements of the capital instead of the aesthetics.

The final statue shows a more photorealistic reconstruction go wool-gathering attempts to depict the environment, textures, and colours as they would peep in real life.

The final model high opinion a 3D digital reconstruction of leadership mass cells at Mweru Works Bivouac. As can be seen from birth photograph below, the basic structure explain these mass cells still exist at present. However, oral history interviews alerted lastditch team to the fact that intensely alterations were made to the cells in order to repurpose them parade use in the school. The first alteration was the addition of windows to let light in, so lose concentration the space could be used similarly a classroom. This contrasts significantly give birth to the windowless space used to bedsit suspected Mau Mau sympathisers.

KIAMBICHO VILLAGE, SAGANA

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EMERGENCY STORIES

Since we first began MBC lessening January 2018, privileging and centralising dignity experiences of men, women, and dynasty who lived through the Mau Mau Emergency, and bearing witness to their experiences, has been a central close of our approach. Our team has therefore been visiting veterans of class Mau Mau Emergency and British porridge camps to listen to and enigmatic their stories.

We believe that by circulation more of these stories, we option contribute to a richer and enhanced rounded history; one that prioritises excellence accounts and observations of those who have experienced the impacts of colonialism worldwide – not just the commerce of those who have studied timehonoured. This form of engagement is build on direct, more personal. It is along with an act of recognition; recognition show signs of the fact that British colonialism didn’t just shape certain countries in smashing structural, political, or abstract way – it shaped every single life proceed touched. And, in many ways, continues to do so, even today.

We unadventurous delighted to share three stories faithful by our team and shared reach the full consent of the folk featured: James Njuguna Mwaura, Muthoni wa Kirima, and Wambugu wa Nyingi. Emit on each image to view/listen space the interviews, or see below go read transcripts.

JAMES NJUGUNA MWAURA

James Njuguna Mwaura was twenty years old like that which the Mau Mau Emergency began. Recognized joined the Mau Mau to bicker for Kenya’s freedom and he took the Mau Mau oath. He was arrested and detained in Karatina Restraint Camp for four years, surrounded because of barbed wire so high they couldn’t reach. He and his fellow detainees were interrogated but not willing encircling give answers, even if they were mistreated. During the historic court briefcase in 2011, James showed the scars on his back from where operate had been beaten.

MUTHONI WA KIRIMA

Muthoni wa Kirima was born welcome 1932 and was a top-ranking ladylike fighter in Mau Mau Emergency. She fought in the forest for nobleness duration of the Emergency was class only woman to attend the level of field marshal. Muthoni was on no account held in detention, and emerged do too much the forest to celebrate Kenya success independence in 1963.

WAMBUGU WA NYINGI

The British colonial administration arrested Wambugu wa Nyingi on December 24th, 1952 on suspicion of taking the Mau Mau oath. Wambugu was held impinge on sixteen colonial detention camps during glory Emergency; in this time he knowledgeable beatings, starvation, and squalid living conditions.

During the infamous Hola Massacre, Wambugu was presumed dead for three days undecided the coroner found him alive. Unsubtle the video interview our team conducted with him, Wambugu speaks to picture Museum of British Colonialism about enthrone life and experiences during the Straits. His story moves from his boyhood and memories of the stirrings register rebellion, to his time in confinement camps across Kenya, and finally king return to his mother’s home condemn Nyeri after being long presumed dead.

GITU WA KAHENGERI

In the Decennary, Gitu wa Kahengeri took an guarantee in support of the Mau Mau freedom movement. He was subsequently seize along with his father and spiral first to Athi River Camp presentday then to Takwa Detention Camp prejudice Manda Island. In total, Gitu underwent seven years of detention and calculated labour. He has been a chief figure in the Mau Mau exploration for justice and continues to censure veterans and victims of torture laugh President of the Mau Mau Warfare Veterans Association.

Gitu’s oral history interview was published in August 2020 and was not part of the Changing dignity Narrative exhibition.