Syracuse University SURFACE Pan African Studies - Theses College of Arts and Sciences 5-2013 "Thaai thathaiyai Ngai thaai": Narratives of Rituals, Agency, and Resistance in the KLFA (Mau Mau) Struggle for Kenya's Independence Henry Muoki Mbunga Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/panaf_theis Part of the African History Commons, and the African Studies Commons Recommended Citation Mbunga, Henry Muoki, ""Thaai thathaiyai Ngai thaai": Narratives of Rituals, Agency, and Resistance in the KLFA (Mau Mau) Struggle for Kenya's Independence" (2013). Pan African Studies - Theses. 4. https://surface.syr.edu/panaf_theis/4 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Arts and Sciences at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pan African Studies - Theses by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract The purpose of this project is to examine the role of rituals in the Mau Mau struggle for Kenya’s independence. Traditionally, research on the Mau Mau has focused on the political and socio-economic aspects of Kenya’s anti-colonial struggle. As a result, the place of spirituality and, in particular, the role of rituals in the Mau Mau struggle has largely been ignored in existing literature. Initially, when KLFA rituals were studied at the height of the Mau Mau struggle, the task was undertaken by colonial anthropologists and psychologists who were often unable to escape the snare of racist and Eurocentric prejudices in their analyses. Subsequent revisionist studies have attempted to be more objective in their analyses, but the focus has mainly been on the elements and details surrounding the actual ceremonies, at the expense of how these rituals impacted individual freedom fighters. Using oral history interviews of seventeen former Mau Mau freedom fighters, this project looks at how rituals impacted individual freedom fighters and shaped their views of, and contributions to, the struggle for Kenya’s independence. The study uncovers six Mau Mau rituals including drinking the oath, clutching soil at death, seeking a seer, singing, praying, and wearing locked hair. Relying on African Indigenous Knowledges to frame and interpret the collected narratives, this study particularly uses Nommo—the creative and generative power of the spoken word—to demonstrate that the Mau Mau struggle effectively utilized the utterances made during ritual ceremonies to generate courage, perseverance, strength, commitment, and other values that were invaluable to the struggle. Ultimately, the study establishes that experiences of rituals were integral to shaping the participation of freedom fighters in the Mau Mau struggle for Kenya’s independence. “Thaai thathaiyai Ngai thaai”: Narratives of Rituals, Agency, and Resistance in the KLFA (Mau Mau) Struggle for Kenya’s Independence By Henry Muoki Mbunga B.A. Daystar University, 2010 Master’s Thesis Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Pan African Studies in the Graduate School of Syracuse University May 2013 Copyright © Henry Muoki Mbunga 2013 All Rights Reserved Dedication This thesis is dedicated to the thousands of men and women who lost their lives fighting for Kenya’s land and freedom. Their stories must be told to our children and children’s children, and their sacrifices must never be in vain. Acknowledgments I give thanks and praises to the Most High God for giving me divine strength and motivation to successfully complete this project, and especially get through those times when I felt completely overwhelmed. I would like to sincerely thank my advisor, Mwalimu Micere Githae Mugo, for her guidance, constructive feedback, and unyielding support during this project. She stood by me despite being in a very difficult period of bereavement. Her dedication to this project was a source of great strength and motivation to me. I am also indebted to Prof. Joan Bryant and Prof. Martin Shanguhyia who, together with my advisor, formed my Thesis Committee. My long conversations with Prof. Bryant, and especially the insightful questions she posed, helped me to critically reflect on the direction of this project. My numerous conversations with Prof. Shanguhyia enabled me to situate my work within the vast Mau Mau Historiography. I am also grateful to the Department of African American Studies and Pan African Studies program at Syracuse University, for funding my research in Kenya. I am deeply indebted to the members of the Mau Mau War Veterans Association office in Gitura Sub-Location, Murang’a South District. They welcomed me into their community and shared very personal and compelling stories that made this project possible. I am also grateful to Prof. Maina wa Kinyatti and the Mau Mau Research Centre for introducing me to some of the former freedom fighters who participated in this study. A special thanks goes to Kimani Waweru for helping me in this endeavor. v I am very grateful to Dr. Wandia Njoya and Curtis Reed who have been my mentors since my undergraduate years at Daystar University. Your guidance, love, and support have been integral to getting me to this point. I would also like to sincerely thank the entire Mbunga family and my fiancé, Kalo Sokoto, for their constant prayers and motivation during this project. Their love and support helped me to press on during all those sleepless nights of writing, editing, and corrections. In addition, I would like to thank my friends Sila Musyimi, Muthami, Mbunga, Makau Nzioka, and Samson Kamina. My groundings with these brothers have greatly motivated and informed my interest in this project. In addition, I would like to thank all A.I.C. Jericho English SAF members and Daystar University’s Ajenda Afrika members for all the vibrant discussions we have held regarding Mau Mau history, in particular, and Pan-African history and politics in general. Lastly, I give special thanks to Beatrice Wambui Mathenge and Nduta Mbugua-Mainda for their help in translating some of the Gikuyu interviews. There are many other people who have contributed to this project in one way or the other, but I am unable to mention everyone by name. To all of them, I say asanti sana! vi Table of Contents 1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………............1 a) Statement of the Problem………………………………………………….............1 b) Research Questions…………………………………………………………..........4 c) Background………………………………………………………………..............4 d) Objectives of the Study…………………………………………………..…..........7 e) Significance of the Study………………………………………………….............7 f) Research Methodology……………………………………………………............9 g) Interpretive Tools…………………………………………………………...........19 2. Literature Review…………………………………………………………………........26 a) General Review………………………………………………………….….........26 b) KLFA Historiography………………………………………………………........30 3. Understanding Rituals…………………………………………………………….........40 Historical Background of KLFA Rituals……………………………..…………….........48 a) Drinking the oath…………………………………………………………….......49 b) Clutching soil at death……………………………………………………….......52 c) Seeking a seer……………………………………….……………………….......54 d) Praying……………………………………………………………………….......56 e) Singing……………………………………………………………………….......59 f) Wearing locked hair………………………………………………………….......61 4. Listening to and Engaging the Narratives with Reference to Drinking the oath—the Core KLFA Ritual………………………………………………………………….......64 Biographical sketch of the Narrators……………………………………………….........64 Understanding Nommo………………………………………………………………......68 Drinking the oath…………………………………………………………………….......74 a) Coercion or volition in the oath administration process? ………………..….......75 b) Drinking the oath as a source of courage, strength and perseverance...……........77 c) Drinking the oath to generate commitment, resolve, and self-sacrifice…............83 d) Drinking the oath to foster unity………………………………………................90 e) Drinking the oath, women, and gender roles in the KLFA……………..…..........93 f) The uniqueness of KLFA oaths………………………………….……..…..........99 5. Listening to and Engaging the Narratives with Reference to Five KLFA Routine Rituals…………………………………………………………………….....................101 Clutching soil at death……………………………………………………………….....101 a) A symbol of the struggle’s key objective……………………………………....101 b) A warning, encouragement, and curse for the living………..…………….........103 c) A link to their current activism……………………………………………........107 Seeking a seer………………………………………………………………………......111 a) Experiences with seers in the forests……………………………………….......112 b) Experiences with seers in the reserves……………………………………….....118 Praying……………………………………………………………………………….....123 a) An individual and communal ritual……………………………………….........123 vii b) Reflections on the effectiveness of their prayers………………………….........127 Singing………………………………………………………………………..…….......137 a) To motivate and generate perseverance…………………………………….......138 b) As a cathartic lament………………………………………………………........141 c) To record KLFA History……………………………………………….............142 d) To educate and conscientize members…………………………………….........144 Wearing locked hair…………………………………………………………….............148 a) A multi-layered symbol of their struggle………………………………….........148 b) Pragmatic reasons……………………………………………………….….......154 6. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………..…........155 Limitations……………………………………………………………………….…......157 Future Research and Implications…………………………………………………........159 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………..........162