Lexington Books
Pages: 206
•
Trim: 6½ x 9⅜
978-1-4985-2147-5 • Hardback • April 2016 • $92.00 • (£71.00)
978-1-4985-2148-2 • eBook • April 2016 • $87.00 • (£67.00)
Evanson N. Wamagatta is associate professor of history at Biola University.
Chapter 1: Early Colonial Chiefs in Kiambu District, 1902–1922
Chapter 2: Waruhiu’s Early Life, 1890–1916
Chapter 3: Quest for Power, 1917–1922
Chapter 4: Relationship with the Colonizers, 1922–1952
Chapter 5: Relationship with the Colonized, 1922–1952
Chapter 6: Councilor of Kiambu Local Native Council, 1925–1952
Chapter 7: Life Behind the Scenes, 1922–1952
Chapter 8: Prelude to Waruhiu’s Murder, 1941–1952
Chapter 9: Assassination of Senior Chief Waruhiu
Chapter 10: Who Killed Waruhiu and Why?
Chapter 11: Conclusion
The role of chiefs in colonial Kenya is a contested terrain. Dr. Wamagatta contributes to this debate by examining the career of Chief Waruhiu Kungu of Kiambu. He traces his rise from a humble background to a wealthy, most loyal and distinguished pillar of Kenya’s colonial administration. He points out that to his subjects, he was a sellout due to his overzealousness in executing unpopular government policies, such as keeping law and order or collecting taxes. Nevertheless, Wamagatta refutes the ‘stooge’ tag by marshalling substantial evidence to show Waruhiu’s efforts in championing the welfare of his people in diverse fields. Finally, he contributes to Waruhiu’s saga by postulating that his unresolved murder was probably not carried out by the Mau Mau but very likely by ‘some leaders of the white settlers, working with some government officials’ in order to force the government to declare a state of emergency and forestall demands for independence. That is controversial and will spur further research and debate. Hence, the book is a worthy addition to the historiography of Kenya.
— Godfrey Muriuki, University of Nairobi
Evanston Wamagatta has written an important and richly researched biography of Waruhiu wa Kung'u, Kenya's most powerful colonial chief whose assassination in 1952 ushered in the Mau Mau war against the British. It is a study that offers meaningful insights into British colonial policies, third world nationalism, and decolonization and should appeal to a wide range of readers.
— Robert L. Tignor, The Rosengarten Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, Princeton University