Mau Mau group wants Sh140 trillion from UK

By Cyrus Ombati

A group calling itself ‘Mau Mau Original’ wants the British Government to pay them Sh140 trillion for alleged atrocities during colonisation. The group Tuesday met British High Commissioner in Nairobi Rob Macaire and told him their demands.

The 18 members were led by Mau Mau Original Trust Chairman Ngacha Karani, who said Mr Macaire promised to communicate back to them after informing his superiors in London.

Members of the Mau Mau War Veteran Association in solidarity after addressing the Press in Nairobi on Tuesday. They want the British Government to pay them Sh140 trillion for the atrocities during colonisation. [PHOTO: COLLINS KWEYU/STANDARD]

"He told us he has to consult before he tells us the way forward. All we want is compensation for the sufferings we and our families went through then," said Karani.

He said the trust has five million members, and each of them wants about Sh70 million from Britain. We could not get a comment from the embassy if indeed the meeting took place.

The issue of compensating Mau Mau veterans began almost ten years ago when President Kibaki discussed it with the then High Commissioner Edward Clay. A group of veterans then filed a case in the UK alleging that they suffered serious physical and sexual abuse at the hands of the British during the Kenyan "emergency" of 1952 to 1960.

However, the British government has challenged the suit arguing that it is "not liable for the acts and omissions of the Kenyan colonial administration".

They say the Kenyan Government was now responsible for events that took place while the country was a British colony.