The name is absent

of Mau Mau) were not terrorists, murderers, but the noblest fighters for
freedom.”¹⁹ Kariuki sought to change the language associated with Mau Mau
participants from “thugs”, “gangsters", and “terrorists” to “freedom fighters.”²⁰

Kariuki shows that one of the most effective aspects of understanding Mau
Mau is found in the actual oaths. He emphasizes the themes of unity and
commitment to the movement. Thus, the oath is positioned to help his argument
of challenging the grounds of Mau Mau which question the rationality and
thoughtfulness of the rebellion. Kariuki also focuses on descriptive accounts of
oathing ceremonies. From his perspective, the oath was purposeful and
meaningful. Kariuki’s book was effective in shaping the historiography of the
Mau Mau oath because he offered one of the first written accounts of the
significance and role of the Mau Mau oath in the developments of Mau Mau from
someone who actually took the oath.

Perspectives of Barnett and Njama

Karari Njama wrote about his experience as a forest fighter in Mau Mau
From Within, published in 1966 and co-authored with Donald Barnett. This book
is also an intervention in the standing historiography about Mau Mau and
counters the belief that the movement was irrational and based on savagery. It
highlights the rationality, commitment, sacrifice, and creativity in the
establishment of a unified military and political structure with the objective of
restoring the stolen lands, driving out the European, and restoring the dignity of

¹⁹ Josiah Kariuki, Маи Май Detainee (Nairobi and London: Oxford University Press, 1963), 215.

²⁰ Clough, Mau Mau Memiors, 3.

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