Defeating Mau Mau - some observations on 'Counter Insurgency Research' in Kenya during the Emergency

Samenvatting

The aim here is to enlarge the limited approach to counter-insurgency research. Focus is on a case-study of counter-insurgency research by British scholars in Kenya during the Mau Mau revolt and its aftermath (1952-61). 2 distinct phases are described and a comparison is made between this and similar research conducted in Asia and Latin America. The following conclusions are reached: (1) the contribution of the Kenya case-study has been relatively limited, (2) it was either voluntary or government-sponsored, and (3) it makes a more "civilized" impression than its counterparts in Thailand or Latin America. An explanation is offered about why these differences exist. J. Shiffer