The last of the Mau Mau fighters

The last of the Mau Mau fighters

In 1963, as Kenya celebrated independence from British rule, one of the last Mau Mau fighters came out of hiding and laid down her arms.

Muthoni Kirima was the first and only woman to be appointed field marshall in the Kenya Land and Freedom Army - better known as the Mau Mau.

She had been living in the Kenyan forest for 11 years, fighting with other armed rebels to reclaim land taken by European settlers.

Thousands died or were imprisoned as Britain tried to crush the uprising. But the rebellion was later seen as paving the way to independence.

Jane Wilkinson has found out more through Muthoni Kirima's interview with the Mau Mau Chronicles oral history project.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there.

For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.

We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.

You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.

(Photo: Field Marshall Muthoni Kirima, 1963. Credit: Smith Archive/Alamy)

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(2000)

The first Rubik's Cube world champion

The first Rubik's Cube world champion

On 5 June 1982, a teenage refugee from Vietnam became the first Rubik's Cube world champion. Representing the United States, 16-year-old Minh Thai took on contestants from 18 other countries at the ch...

3 Loka 10min

Boer War: Siege of Ladysmith

Boer War: Siege of Ladysmith

The Siege of Ladysmith was a key moment in the Boer War, also known as the South African War. In 1899, British troops and civilians were trapped in the besieged South African town for 118 days. Usin...

2 Loka 10min

The Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls

In 1947, a missing goat led to the chance discovery of the first Dead Sea Scrolls. These ancient Jewish manuscripts became one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century. British a...

1 Loka 10min

The contraceptive pill gets legalised in Japan

The contraceptive pill gets legalised in Japan

After decades of campaigning in Japan, the pill was finally legalised in 1999. In contrast, the male impotency drug Viagra was approved for use in just six months, and legalised before the contracepti...

30 Syys 10min

Sulawesi's cave art and the origins of storytelling

Sulawesi's cave art and the origins of storytelling

In 2012, the discovery of rock art in caves on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi changed our understanding of early human history.Archaeologist Maxime Aubert tells Leo Dunlop how his team used a new d...

29 Syys 10min

The birth of Jodrell Bank

The birth of Jodrell Bank

On an English field in 1957, the final touches were made to what was then the largest radio telescope in the world. But designing and building the Jodrell Bank Observatory hadn’t been easy.Sir Bernard...

28 Syys 10min

Harold Riley: Painting Nelson Mandela

Harold Riley: Painting Nelson Mandela

Harold Riley was the only artist in the world given the opportunity to paint Nelson Mandela from life.When Mandela agreed to pose for the English artist, it marked the beginning of a remarkable relati...

25 Syys 10min

Kinder Scout mass trespass

Kinder Scout mass trespass

In 1932, hundreds of walkers organised a mass trespass on Kinder Scout, the highest point in England's Peak District.It was a major step in the campaign by workers from the industrial city of Manchest...

24 Syys 10min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

olipa-kerran-otsikko
i-dont-like-mondays
seitseman
sita
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
hupiklubi
download
uutiscast
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
kaksi-aitia
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
kolme-kaannekohtaa
rss-murhan-anatomia
mamma-mia
vallattomat
aikalisa
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
kummitusjuttuja