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@HistoryKE

Jul 9, 2023

#HistoryKeThread: James Bond in Kenya - 1901.

These words, describing the fate that befell villagers in Kîhûmbûinî in present-day Mûranga county, were etched on a diary - Kenya Diary (1902 -1906) - by its author.

The author was a man whose service to Britain - according to various records - inspired the legend of James Bond, the main movie character in Ian Fleming’s spy series.

Read 47 tweets

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@HistoryKE

Jun 20, 2023

#HistoryKeThread: World War 1 Action In Kenya
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Many people believe that WW1 action in Kenya was primarily focused around Taveta.

However, there was arguably as much action in other parts of Kenya, including Victoria Nyanza, Kericho and Maasailand.

On Lake Victoria, for instance, the British sank the German armoured tug 'Mwanza'.

As the war raged in western Kenya, a British telecoms expert, Reginald Rice, was dispatched from the telegraph station at Mombasa up to Lake Victoria to establish a telegraph receiver on SS Clement Hill (pictured), a passenger and cargo steamer on the lake.

Read 35 tweets

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@HistoryKE

Jun 18, 2023

#HistoryKeThread: Sultan Fumo Bakari and The Witu Resistance
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In 1890 a group of Germans set up camp near Witu, Lamu, and started chopping down the forests that surrounded the town.

The fact that they were heavily armed and spent much of their spare time engaged in military exercises led the Witu Sultan, Fumo Bakari, to fear that the foreign force was about to stage a coup.

So he stole their weapons.

This obviously upset the Germans, so they marched on Witu and, with their remaining guns, opened fire.

In the battle that ensued between 15th and 17th September 1890, two Swahili and ten Germans lost their lives.

Read 19 tweets

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@HistoryKE

Jun 8, 2023

#HistoryKeThread: Waruhiu’s Last Bow
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From September 1952, colonial chief of the Agikuyu in Kiambu, Waruhiu Kung’u - seen here addressing his last public rally at Kirigiti on 25th August of the same year, began transferring property to his wife and children.

📷:NMG

The Kirigiti rally had been organized by local (Kiambu) and Kenya Africa Union (KAU) leaders led by Waruhiu and Jomo Kenyatta respectively, to denounce Mau Mau.

In the run up to the address, there had been an increasing spate of violence meted out on collaborators, notably crown witnesses or police informers, church leaders, headmen and chiefs.

Read 31 tweets

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@HistoryKE

Jun 6, 2023

#HistoryKeThread: Rawson Macharia: Bribed To Frame Jomo Kenyatta
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The colonial government was so short of evidence with which to convict Mzee Kenyatta, that they turned to a "frail little shopkeeper" - as described Rawson Macharia - the main prosecution witness.

During the trial, Rawson testified that Mzee was his Mau Mau oath administrator. He also gave detailed descriptions of how the oathing itself was carried out.

He described how he was stripped naked, made to drink human blood and make ritualistic movements on banana leaves.

For his testimony and subsequent conviction of Mzee Kenyatta, the colonial government rewarded him with a return trip to England, and a scholarship to undertake a 2-year public administration course.

Read 12 tweets

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@HistoryKE

May 13, 2023

#HistoryKeThread 🧵: Two Forts
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In 1890, officials of the Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) - which midwifed the colony that later became known as Kenya to the British government - led by Fredrick Lugard established a military frontier post at Kîawariûa.

Today, this is the area we generally call Dagoretti.

Over a period of a few weeks, Lugard supervised the construction of a new fort here. He later left for Buganda, leaving George Wilson in command of the new garrison.

It wasn’t long before the fort was besieged by a phalanx of Agîkûyû fighters. They were under the command of Waiyaki wa Hinga (pictured).

The siege lasted for a week and a half. The aim was to scare off Wilson and his force of a few Europeans, Nubian, Swahili & Somali fighters.

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