The name is absent

Mau Mau oathers can openly tell their versions of the unforgettable war, and in
so doing, they can heal.

The remaining Mau Mau veterans yearn for retribution. On June 23, 2009,
five elderly and fragile Mau Mau veterans entered the British Courts to sue the
British government for the atrocities committed against them during the Mau Mau
period. A similar legal attempt was lodged years ago but was not successful.
However, in this recent case the lawyers of Leigh Day and Company were
prepared with forty cases of torture, sexual abuse, unlawful detention, and a new
global audience.⁴ The claimants, Ndiku Mutua, Paulo Nzili, Wambugu Wa Nyingi
and two women, Jane Muthoni Mara and Susan Ngondi, all filed for
compensation and an apology for inhumane treatment, abuse, and injuries during
the Mau Mau war.⁵ Their severe injuries were life-long and inhumane. For
example, two of the male claimants, Mutua and Nzili, were both castrated with
pliers, and the women, Mara and Ngodi, were subjected to heinous sexual
violence. However, it is questionable how long the court battles can last since the
claimants are now in their seventies and eighties.⁶ This drive and desire for
justice on behalf of Mau Mau veterans shows that the conviction, memory,
legacies, and restlessness of the war continue to have a relevant place in
contemporary Kenyan society. The remnants of Mau Mau war experiences

⁴ BBC On-line News, “Kenya Mau Mau Veterans to Sue UK,” May 11, 2009,
http://news.bbc.co.Uk/2/hi/8043442.stm.

⁵ Ray, “The Empire’s Ghost Returns,” 18-22.

⁶ Ray, “The Empire’s Ghost Returns,” 18-22. Also note, some attest that the strategy has been to continue
to push the court trials out over time with the expectation of continued frustration and/or death of Mau Mau
veterans.

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