The Testimony of Mbubi: “The Oath of a Man’s Society”49
Mbubi S/О Nzibe from the Mbitini Location provided his account of the
evening in question. On this date, October 27, 1953, he went with Kambe S∕O
Ngoi to the home of Nathan Kiswii. Nzibe claimed that the accused told him that
he was called to join a “Men’s Society.”50 After removing his clothes, the
accused was given the oath. Nzibe provides the following details on the oathing
activities:
“Accused then told me to enter somewhere - a thing like an arch, I had to go
through 7 times. I did so. I was then given a piece of meat and a stick which
I had to push over my shoulder 7 times. I had to say if I took European beer I
would die. If I am called and I refuse to go I will die, and if I refuse to go with
others I would die. I was to kill white men or askaris. I was told this was oath
of man’s society. I was not told what the name was. I was then given
something like beer to drink, a Mkamba substance. I was then told to go
home. Masika [was] there throughout ceremony.”51
In his testimony given to the local Third Class Magistrate Court at
Machakos on December 29, 1953, Nzibe was clear about the name of the
organization of the movement. He states, “The accused then told me that I had
been called to join the corporation of Mau Mau."52 The cross examination failed
to question these inconsistencies between the recorded accounts.
These witness accounts combined with the testimonies of others, raises
another problem for the judge and courts. It is not clear if the defense had
access to the previous files and testimonies that were being accumulated in the
court files surrounding the accused. The statements of Ndibo and Ndize recorded
49 Testimony of Mbubi S/0 Nzibe, KNA MLA 1/791 - CC 36/54 Rex vs. Masika S/0 Nyanze p. 3.
50 Testimony of Mbubi S/0 Nzibe, KNA MLA 1/791 - CC 36/54 Rex vs. Masika S/0 Nyanze p. 3.
51 Testimony of Mbubi S/О Nzibe, KNA MLA 1/791 - CC 36/54 Rex vs. Masika S/0 Nyanze p. 3.
52 Testimony of Mbubi S/О Nzibe, Third Class Magistrate Court at Machakos, case 60, 1953. KNA MLA
1/791 - CC 36/54 Rex vs. Masika S/0 Nyanze p. 6.
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