The name is absent

different angle. It was not associated with the consumption of meat during the
ceremony, but instead linked to internalizing the oathing words.⁷¹ Branch ends
his analysis on oathing with a treatment of the oath cleansing. Overall, Branch
shows in this study that there is still much more to say on the topic of oathing and
Mau Mau as he presents a different version of the history by understanding it
from the loyalist point of view.

Reflections on the Various Perspectives

The writings over the years on the Mau Mau oath have provided the field
with increasing levels of clarity on oath continuities, origins, types, classifications,
and ceremony descriptions. Each generation of scholars wrote based on their
perceptions at their particular moment in time, revealing a great deal about
relationships between text and the political, social, economic, and cultural
influences on historical development. All of the valuable scholarship has provided
the foundation for this dissertation. This study has the benefit of pulling all of
these different accounts to create a new level of oath understanding.

Over time, scholars have agreed on some aspects about the Mau Mau
oath. For example, the theme of unity is a classification that some writers discuss
about the oath in efforts to foster movement allegiance and secrecy, although
some like Furedi may argue that unity and secrecy are a given for any type of
rebellion. However, the interpretations of unity and secrecy really rest on the
individual level making this difficult to analyze globally for the movement. The

⁷¹ Interview, K. Mutunga, June 2009, Kitui, Kenya; Interview, K. Nthuva, June 2009, Kitui, Kenya.
Interview, K. Kitavi, June 2009, Kitui, Kenya.

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