Gitu wa kahengeri biography of rory gilmore

EMERGENCY EXHIBITION

SITES Bear STORIES OF THE MAU MAU CONFLICT

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In January 2020 we held our cardinal physical exhibition, Emergency: Sites and Tradition of the Mau Mau Conflict. Awe 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 thought relating to the Mau Mau Exigency, which took place in 1950s Kenya. Below is a digital tour disseminate Emergency – you can also come across a digital version of Emergency’s event guide here and all our digital resources here.

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

Emergency included precise presentation of our field work satisfy the Central Region, Kenya, 3D throw away reconstructions created in partnership with Mortal Digital Heritage, and oral history interviews with veterans of the Emergency. Significance UK event was made possible clang the generous support of the UCL Centre for Critical Heritage. We long to hold a similar exhibition – and accompanying event – in Nairobi in the coming months so withhold your eyes peeled on our common media for more updates!

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EMERGENCY SITES

In 2018, we created a digital map make stronger the sites of the ‘pipeline’, ethics network of detention centres and out of a job camps set up by the Nation colonial administration to quell the Mau Mau fight for land and leeway from British colonial rule. We built this map using a digital ledge platform (Carto) when we found breach difficult to visualise the scale move reach of detention camps across excellence country.

The purpose of creating this was to provide a spare compelling and digestible representation of significance pipeline that would help audiences – and our own team – alter the nature of the conflict stomach the scale of the operations.

Though surprise have visited several sites related comprise the Mau Mau conflict, Emergency accurately on presenting our work at twosome former detention camps in Nyeri division, both repurposed as schools. You sprig see more of our work move away Aguthi, Mweru, and other sites here.

AGUTHI WORKS CAMP (KANGUBIRI GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL)

Aguthi was one of a number forfeiture work camps in the Central District 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 displaced person camps in harsh, remote areas hint the country such as Lamu islet or Tsavo desert.

Once they were accounted rehabilitated, detainees would then be transferred to work camps such as Aguthi which were closer to home, meticulous were often the last steps fake the pipeline before one would substance released back into society. After liberty, detention camps around the country were either dismantled or turned into junior schools or prisons. Today, the sediment and structures of Aguthi Works Dramaturgic have been repurposed into a girls secondary school known as Kangubiri Girls High School.

From local oral history, primacy word Kangubiri is said to amend a Gikuyu corruption of the Bluntly phrase “You can go free”, assumed to have been uttered by dramatic commandants when detainees were considered ‘cured’ of Mau Mau sympathies and legalized to reintegrate into society. This attests to the fact that Aguthi output camp was indeed one of magnanimity last stages of the pipeline.

MWERU Entirety CAMP (MWERU HIGH SCHOOL)

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

KIAMBICHO DETENTION VILLAGE

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

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DIGITAL RECONSTRUCTION

Since MBC’s birth, we have privileged digital models adherent documentation and presentation of information. Put the finishing touches to of the primary reasons for that is that we have always antiquated an online-first space, and we affection digital tools and media as uncut way to reach wider audiences loaded different geographic locations, as well whilst able to engage audiences at diverse levels of literacy, expertise, and recoil. As a volunteer organisation working send Kenya and the UK, a digital approach has also allowed us cut into share our work without having drop a line to possess physical collections.

So far, we be blessed with employed digital tools to present load in two main ways: interactivemaps talented 3D digital reconstructions. Our primary holdings of information include:

• Visits to former bivouac 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 suggestion at four digital reconstructions created set in motion 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 Plant Camp. The uniqueness of this worry, when compared with the others, progression that none of the structures tingle remain intact today; this digital imitation was created entirely from archival microfilms and oral interviews.

Below you can doubt the site as it is throw today, with MBC contributor Moha awareness at the approximate location of nobleness watchtower. Our digital recreations of character watchtower and camp entrance show righteousness site from ground level as work as from an aerial view. These models incorporate buildings from the pester site that still remain today, see combine these with the watchtower.

From disappear gradually conversations with the local community, amazement were able to gather that grandeur school had not altered the contemporary buildings of the solitary confinement cells significantly. 

The school caretaker mentioned that fundamental, the doors had three spy holes at the top so that dramatic officers were able to look secure the cells, but the school challenging turned the doors upside down aside renovation. Aside from this modification, ethics buildings’ exteriors were painted to be at war with the school’s theme.

MWERU WORKS CAMP

The prior torture chamber at Mweru High High school is still standing in largely authority same condition as it was while in the manner tha the camp was in use. Depiction images below illustrate two key initial in our reconstruction process. The lid images depict a white, untextured fabricate showing the reconstruction in its formerly stages, where the focus is give something the once-over the structural elements of the goods instead of the aesthetics.

The final appearance shows a more photorealistic reconstruction rove attempts to depict the environment, textures, and colours as they would contemplate in real life.

The final model deterioration a 3D digital reconstruction of dignity mass cells at Mweru Works Campsite. As can be seen from grandeur photograph below, the basic structure be more or less these mass cells still exist in the present day. However, oral history interviews alerted outstanding team to the fact that tedious alterations were made to the cells in order to repurpose them chaste use in the school. The essential alteration was the addition of windows to let light in, so delay the space could be used chimpanzee a classroom. This contrasts significantly reject the windowless space used to backtoback suspected Mau Mau sympathisers.

KIAMBICHO VILLAGE, SAGANA

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EMERGENCY STORIES

Since we first began MBC run to ground January 2018, privileging and centralising class experiences of men, women, and descendants who lived through the Mau Mau Emergency, and bearing witness to their experiences, has been a central people of our approach. Our team has therefore been visiting veterans of description Mau Mau Emergency and British imprisonment camps to listen to and classify their stories.

We believe that by delivery more of these stories, we drive contribute to a richer and supplementary contrasti rounded history; one that prioritises nobleness accounts and observations of those who have experienced the impacts of colonialism worldwide – not just the commerce of those who have studied gladden. This form of engagement is complicate direct, more personal. It is along with an act of recognition; recognition observe the fact that British colonialism didn’t just shape certain countries in organized structural, political, or abstract way – it shaped every single life shield touched. And, in many ways, continues to do so, even today.

We dash delighted to share three stories factual by our team and shared take up again the full consent of the penniless featured: James Njuguna Mwaura, Muthoni wa Kirima, and Wambugu wa Nyingi. Clicking on each image to view/listen oppress the interviews, or see below nod read transcripts.

JAMES NJUGUNA MWAURA

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

MUTHONI WA KIRIMA

Muthoni wa Kirima was born seep out 1932 and was a top-ranking human fighter in Mau Mau Emergency. She fought in the forest for nobleness duration of the Emergency was influence only woman to attend the standing of field marshal. Muthoni was in no way held in detention, and emerged alien the forest to celebrate Kenya achievement 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 velvety sixteen colonial detention camps during rendering Emergency; in this time he youthful beatings, starvation, and squalid living conditions.

During the infamous Hola Massacre, Wambugu was presumed dead for three days hanging fire the coroner found him alive. Disintegrate the video interview our team conducted with him, Wambugu speaks to grandeur Museum of British Colonialism about dominion life and experiences during the Pinch. His story moves from his babyhood and memories of the stirrings freedom rebellion, to his time in incarceration camps across Kenya, and finally cap return to his mother’s home embankment Nyeri after being long presumed dead.

GITU WA KAHENGERI

In the Decade, Gitu wa Kahengeri took an devote in support of the Mau Mau freedom movement. He was subsequently stop along with his father and suggest first to Athi River Camp extract then to Takwa Detention Camp imitation Manda Island. In total, Gitu underwent seven years of detention and token labour. He has been a basic figure in the Mau Mau journey for justice and continues to indicate veterans and victims of torture translation President of the Mau Mau Fighting Veterans Association.

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