The decade of the 1950s changed the course of Kenya’s history. It was the decade when Kenyans, with no external support and using their own limited resources, took on the might of the British Empire. It was a decade of remarkable hecatomb and suffering, but this sacrifice was not in vain. The Mau Mau war, which provoked copycat liberation wars throughout the colonized world, ensured that at the end of the decade, the British Empire was forced to relinquish power and grant independence to not just Kenya, but to many other colonies. In this documentary, we look at sights and life during this crucial decade: The 1950s. This decade was a lost decade in many respects: survival was particularly hard, education for children was curtailed and there is was violence all of over amidst deplorable poverty. This was happening when other parts of the world were experiencing unprecedented scientific and technological advances, industrialization and baby booms. This implies clearly that in Kenya, more than mere years were lost. Amidst all that was going on, there was always hope, for hope is a stubborn thing to knock off. The people referred to themselves, collectively as matiigari ma njiirungi, or the remnants of the bullets, or turema hiti, or the stubborn knee cap bones the hyenas could not clash with their powerful teeth. The descendants of these people are now the people of Kenya. #maumau #africanliberation #kenya #africanhistory #1950s
