Resources on the secret history of British atrocities in Kenya

The following is a list first compiled on 18th June 2020 of Facebook. I asked people to suggest reading on this topic and from that I compiled this list. I have reposted that today 12th Sep 2022 and received some new suggestions which I have added. Thanks all who made suggestions and to Jason and Richard for additional suggestions added in 2022.

Articles and books on Britains’ colonial rule in Kenya – suggested reading by people online. With Amazon links – other booksellers are available!

===============
Books on Kenya:
===============

1. Histories of the Hanged: Britain’s Dirty War in Kenya and the End of Empire
by David Anderson
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Histories-Hanged-Britains-Testimonies-Rebellion/dp/0753819023

2. Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain’s Gulag in Kenya
by Caroline Elkins
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Imperial-Reckoning-Untold-Story-Britains/dp/0805080015

3. The Mau Mau War in Perspective (Eastern African Studies)
by Frank Furedi
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mau-Perspective-Eastern-African-Studies/dp/0852550529

4. Mau Mau: An African Crucible Paperback
by Robert B. Edgerton
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mau-Crucible-Robert-B-Edgerton/dp/0345369785

5. Squatters & the Roots of Mau Mau: 1905-1963 (Eastern African Studies)
by Tabitha Kanogo
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Squatters-1905-1963-Eastern-African-Studies/dp/0821408747

6. Roots of freedom 1921-1963: The autobiography of Bildad Kaggia Paperback – 1 Jan. 1975
by Bildad Kaggia
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roots-freedom-1921-1963-autobiography-Bildad/dp/B0000EE035

7. “Mau Mau” Detainee: Account by a Kenya African of His Experiences in Detention Camps, 1953-60
by Josiah Mwangi Kariuki
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mau-Detainee-Account-Experiences-Detention/dp/0195723813

8. Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir
by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dreams-Time-War-Childhood-Memoir/dp/0307476219

9. Classes and Class Struggle in Kenya
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Classes-Class-Struggle-Kenya-Kinyatti/dp/1439263051
by Maina wa Kinyatti

10. Mau Mau: A Revolution Betrayed
by Maina wa Kinyatti
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mau-Revolution-Betrayed-Maina-Kinyatti/dp/1439237077

11. Mau Mau from within: Autobiography and analysis of Kenya’s peasant revolt
by Don Barnett
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mau-within-Autobiography-analysis-peasant/dp/B0006BN884

=======================
Books relevant to Kenya:
=======================

12. Blood Never Dried: A peoples History of the British Empire
by John Newsinger
[Chapter on Kenya]
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Never-Dried-John-Newsinger/dp/1909026298/

13. Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent
by Priyamvada Gopal
[Penultimate chapter]
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Insurgent-Empire-Anticolonialism-British-Dissent/dp/1784784125/

14. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa
by Walter Rodney
[Numerous references to Kenya]
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Europe-Underdeveloped-Africa-Walter-Rodney/dp/190638794X

15. Western Primitivism: African Ethnicity – A Study in Cultural Relations (Global issues series)
by Aidan Campbell
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Western-Primitivism-Ethnicity-Cultural-Relations/dp/0304700770

16. The History Thieves: Secrets, Lies and the Shaping of a Modern Nation
by Ian Cobain
[About government secrets and the hiding of documents and information – not specifically about Kenya but does mention it]
https://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Thieves-Secrets-Shaping-Modern/dp/1846275830

17. Insurgents, Raiders and Bandits: How Masters of Irregular Warfare Have Shaped Our World
by John Arquilla (Author)
[Chapter 16 on Frank Kitson who played a major role in the British military repression in Kenya]
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Insurgents-Raiders-Bandits-Masters-Irregular/dp/1566638321

18. Britain’s Secret Wars: How and Why the United Kingdom Sponsors Conflict Around the World
by T. J. Coles (Author)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Britains-Secret-Wars-Sponsors-Conflict/dp/1905570783

=========================
Novels:
=========================

19. Petals of Blood
by Ngugi wa Thiong’o
ISBN 0141187026
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Petals-Blood-Penguin-Modern-Classics/dp/0141187026

20. The Broken Word
by Adam Foulds
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Broken-Word-Adam-Foulds/dp/0224084445

=========
Articles:
=========

21. Mau Mau in the High Court and the ‘Lost’ British Empire Archives: Colonial Conspiracy or Bureaucratic Bungle?
Actions in The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History. 39 (5): 699–716.

22. Colin Leys, Underdevelopment in Kenya. The Political Economy of Neo?Colonialism in Institute of Development Studies Bulletin 7(3): 43-47
https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/handle/20.500.12413/10960

23. The People of Kenya Speak for Themselves
by Mbiyu Koinange
http://rayadunayevskaya.org/ArchivePDFs/2119.pdf

24. Resistance and revolution in colonial Kenya
by FAZAL Shehina
http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article46642

25. Kenya: social movement history of Bunge la Mwananchi (The People’s Parliament) Part One
by GACHIHI Gacheke
http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article33749

26. Uncovering the brutal truth about the British empire
by Caroline Elkins
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/aug/18/uncovering-truth-british-empire-caroline-elkins-mau-mau

27. Guardian articles relating to Mau Mau
https://www.theguardian.com/world/mau-mau

28. Boris Johnson says we shouldn’t edit our past. But Britain has been lying about it for decades
by George Monbiot
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/16/boris-johnson-lying-history-britain-empire

====================
Additional suggestions
====================

29. The Lunatic Express by Charles Miller
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lunatic-Express-Charles-Miller/dp/1784977381

30. Going Down River Road by Meja Mwangi
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Down-River-Road-Mwangi/dp/0982012632

31. Detained: A Writer’s Prison Diary by Ngugi wa Thiong’o
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Detained-Writers-Prison-Diary-African/dp/0435902407

32. A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong’o
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0072NZZVC/

33. The River Between by Ngugi wa Thiong’o
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00O2BKKUI

34. Weep Not, Child by Ngugi wa Thiong’o
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XDPPXWR

Advertisement