The BBC programme Sunday evening gave some more details
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/correspondent/2416049.stm
It quoted a former British colonial administrator, John Nottingham,
referring to
"Brutal savage torture by people who have to be condemned as war criminals.
I feel ashamed coming from a Britain that did what they did to them."
Officially the Mau May resistance movement was said to have killed 100
whites and 2000 loyalist Africans. They themselves suffered 11,000 deaths.
But Prof Caroline Elkins of Harvard, said this was a substantial
underesitmate. The true figure is more like 50,000, all the more shocking
since none of these people should have died.
The governor general is quoted as saying a "violent shock" was necessary
when prisoners were first taken into capitivity.
The torturer responsible for "rehabilitation" is filmed unable to answer a
question about whether he gave orders permitting stubborn prisoners to be
knocked unconscious. These clips are viewable on the web-site.
The programme alleges that the British government persisted in forcing the
Mau Mau to give up their oath even though it had decided to grant
independence. (Independence came in 1963)
11 detainees were known to have been beaten to death in the Hola camp in 1959.
But lawyers have got 6,000 depositions. and are claiming a total of 5
million pounds in compensation. They are confident that Britain will
immediately make an offer as soon as it sees the evidence for fear of
greater publicity.
A Google search for "Hola prison camp deaths" gives the following well
referenced URL which describes the war by the Land Freedom Army ("Mau-Mau")
against British colonialism.
http://bluegecko.crosswinds.net/kenya/tribes/kikuyu/maumau.htm
Chris Burford
London
