Mau Mau and the Kikuyu
The massacre at Uplands emphasised with tragic force what has been true of the emergency in Kenya ever since it began— that the Africans are suffering far more than. the Europeans. and especially those Kikuyu who either 'oppose Mau Mau actively or at least remain neutral. It was another drastic indication of the inadequacy of the measures taken by the,_. authorities to protect and support loyal Africans in troubled areas. Considering the circumstances, it was remarkable that an anti-Mau Mau movement should have come into being among the Kikuyu at all. How can it be strengthened so long as Mau Mau can strike so viciously and so effectively ? The object of the slaughter at Uplands was clearly to demonstrate to Africans the weakness of the Government and the strength of Mau Mau. There were Kikuyu Home Guards at Uplands, but they were apparently unable to offer effective resistance. On the same night a police station elsewhere was successfully attacked: several policemen were killed, arms were captured, and nearly two hundred prisoners set free. And these are not the only examples of the failure of the anti-Mau Mau campaign. Now loyal chiefs, whose own lives are in constant danger, have been warning Sir Evelyn Baring that trouble is coming in Nairobi itself. The military forces in Kenya are being strengthened by two battalions flown out from Britain, but their presence will not help unless there is a plan to make effective use of them. There are strong arguments for forming something like a small War Cabinet, chosen mainly if not entirely from the Legislative Council, and including, essentially, unofficial as well as official European members of it. To direct operations a man of General Templer's calibre is plainly needed;‘but many steps can be taken at once. Chief among these is the local co-ordination of all the forces available and the setting up of liaison systems which ensure that intelligence is quickly disseminated. The greater the degree of protection the authorities can offer to the Kikuyu in the reserves, the speedier will be the elimination of Mau Mau.
