The name is absent

and property.³³ The report also mentioned that these individuals were all
returned to prison. On November 23, 1954, a gang of thieves broke into a couple
of Indian shops and stole 4,000 shillings. Two of the thieves were arrested for the
theft. On the nights of September 17 and 18, forty-seven cattle were stolen by
the Masai. The perpetrators were fined 7,050 shillings as compensation to the
victims. There were also other similar raids by the Masai taking up to 100 cattle.
In all of these cases the Masai paid fines or were responsible for returning all of
the stolen cattle. The desire and ability to control theft in the District was a
colonial objective to protect the assets of others. Written between the lines in all
of these cases was the fact that a significant majority of all crimes were
committed by Africans and that the laws that primarily dealt with offences to
whites or Indians appear to receive most attention in the reporting. Africans were
often punished for stealing; Europeans were never punished for stealing African
land.

The objective of the colonial law practice was to regulate the behaviors of
the African population through legalities that covered a wide range of offenses.
The law worked with other colonial institutions like Christianity and Western
education designed to transform the minds, beliefs, and actions of Kenyans
under the banner of uplifting the race.³⁴

³³ Kenya National Archives, Syracuse Collection, Annual Reports,1954, Film 2801, Roll 7 Machakos
District, p. 26.

³⁴ Reports outline social and educational programming at the district level including the formation of new
societies and organizations, new schools for women, and Christian activities in Kenya National Archives,
Syracuse Collection, Annual & Monthly Reports, Machakos, 1945-1951 (monthly reports) and 1950-1962
(annual reports), Film 2801, Roll 7 & 8. Also note that the social and political transformation was a slow
process especially during the early years of Kenyan colonialism which involved African negotiations along
the way (i.e. Circumcision laws).

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