The Mau Mau Songs and Reconstruction of the History of Kenya’s Struggle for Independence up to 1963

Abstract

Mau Mau war of liberation contributed greatly to the attainment of Kenyan independence in 1963. Fifty-seven years later, the memories of Mau Mau movement generate mixed feelings amongst Kenyans. Even at the time of the war, there were divergent views from the colonialists and the colonised. This article explores the Mau Mau freedom songs published by the Chief Mau Mau Ideologue, Gakaarawa Wanjau, as Kenya was celebrating her 25 years of independence. The objective of the article is to demonstrate the value of songs as a source for reconstructing the history of the Mau Mau movement. The article adopted historical research design which employs document analysis and validated with oral interviews from respondents. It is informed by the Relative Deprivation Theory which argues that people take action for social change in order to gain their rights. Purposive technique was used to sample the songs and respondents drawn from Gakaarawa Wanjau’s acquaintances in the struggle for independence. Open-ended questionnaires research instrument was used to generate qualitative data. The songs bring to the fore the Mau Mau line of thought, their feelings, successes, disappointments and realities in the forests and detention camps. From the songs, one is able to discern that the Mau Mau embraced both violence and diplomacy in the search for independence. They praised military leaders like Dedan Kimathi and educated diplomats like Jomo Kenyatta. Although there has been divergent interpretation on the role of Jomo Kenyatta in the struggle, there is no doubt that the freedom fighters held him in great esteem at the period of the struggle. Additionally, the songs praise some Mau Mau heroes who rarely feature in conventional history books. More importantly, the Mau Mau songs were accessible to all the Agĩkũyũ and acted as an important tool for spreading information about the struggle. The Mau Mau freedom songs were a great source of inspiration for the freedom fighters and their followers and instilled courage and patriotism. This article utilizes songs as a primary source for enriching the Mau Mau historiography.