Visualising Violence and Memories of Mau Mau: The Kenyan Emergency and Representations of the British Empire, 1952-2020
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: History
Abstract
This project examines how public discourse shaped historical memory of the Kenya Emergency (1952-1960). Engaging with debates on memory and empire, it traces how interpretations of the Mau Mau war evolved, asking why and how these shifts occurred. Central to this study is the life cycle of key images of Mau Mau violence in public histories of the Emergency.
The Emergency brought the perceived 'savagery' of Mau Mau to the forefront of British discourse. As part of its anti-Mau Mau propaganda, the Kenya Administration supplied global media with graphic images of insurgent atrocities, shaping a narrative that justified Britain's counter-insurgency. However, as allegations of colonial brutality surfaced, critics-including politicians and anti-colonial activists -challenged this portrayal. This created a paradox of knowledge: while the state defended its counter-insurgency, opposition movements sought to expose its violence.
Despite revelations such as Mutua & Others v. FCO (2012) and the Hanslope Park disclosures, British memory of the Emergency remains shaped by Mau Mau violence. Imperial nostalgia persists, influencing constructions of British identity (YouGov, 2014, 2020).
Centred on colonial violence, this study of British imperial history analyzes how propaganda justified counter-insurgency tactics, exploring the interplay between textual and visual rhetoric in empire and anti-colonialism. Through photography, film, and media, it offers new insights into British visual culture and the enduring memory of violence. Using critical frameworks from colonial history, socio-cultural studies, visual culture, post-colonialism, and film studies, the project examines why British memory fixates on Mau Mau violence while largely ignoring British counter-insurgency brutality.
Core research questions include: How did imagery of Emergency Kenya shape British discourse from 1952-2020? How have public histories depicted colonial and Mau Mau violence?
The Emergency brought the perceived 'savagery' of Mau Mau to the forefront of British discourse. As part of its anti-Mau Mau propaganda, the Kenya Administration supplied global media with graphic images of insurgent atrocities, shaping a narrative that justified Britain's counter-insurgency. However, as allegations of colonial brutality surfaced, critics-including politicians and anti-colonial activists -challenged this portrayal. This created a paradox of knowledge: while the state defended its counter-insurgency, opposition movements sought to expose its violence.
Despite revelations such as Mutua & Others v. FCO (2012) and the Hanslope Park disclosures, British memory of the Emergency remains shaped by Mau Mau violence. Imperial nostalgia persists, influencing constructions of British identity (YouGov, 2014, 2020).
Centred on colonial violence, this study of British imperial history analyzes how propaganda justified counter-insurgency tactics, exploring the interplay between textual and visual rhetoric in empire and anti-colonialism. Through photography, film, and media, it offers new insights into British visual culture and the enduring memory of violence. Using critical frameworks from colonial history, socio-cultural studies, visual culture, post-colonialism, and film studies, the project examines why British memory fixates on Mau Mau violence while largely ignoring British counter-insurgency brutality.
Core research questions include: How did imagery of Emergency Kenya shape British discourse from 1952-2020? How have public histories depicted colonial and Mau Mau violence?
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Lauren Cochrane (Student) |