Advertisement
Kenyans Seek Reparations Over Alleged British Brutalities During Mau Mau Rebellion
ResumeFour elderly Kenyan citizens are in a British court claiming they were beaten, sexually abused, or castrated by British officers during the anti-colonial Mau Mau rebellion in the 1950s, in what is now Kenya.
The Kenyans are in court to demand reparations and an apology from the British government. And their case is bolstered by the release of previously sealed documents that show the extent of the brutality used by British colonial government to suppress the Mau Mau, the documents also show how much ministers in London knew about it.
We speak to Caroline Elkins, a historian and Harvard professor, who's been reading the new documents. Elkins is author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya." She was also an expert witness in the London trial.
This segment aired on April 18, 2011.