Presuming reader familiarity with general works on Kenyan history and Kikuyu society, and more particularly with Mau Mau 'classics' such as Rosberg and Nottingham's 'The myth of Mau Mau' (New York... Show morePresuming reader familiarity with general works on Kenyan history and Kikuyu society, and more particularly with Mau Mau 'classics' such as Rosberg and Nottingham's 'The myth of Mau Mau' (New York, Praeger, 1966) and Barnett and Njama's 'Mau Mau from within' (New York, Monthly Review Press, 1966), the author here aims not so much to present a new, comprehensive study of Mau Mau, but rather to take stock of and to evaluate the progress made in Mau Mau studies during the last ten years. Focus is above all on points that have raised controversy or publications that carry new "discoveries" (facts as well as hypotheses). Successive chapters of the report, which in the words of the author "should be considered as a series of articles loosely held together rather than as a well-constructed book", deal with Mau Mau recruitment, Mau Mau organisation, the meaning of Mau Mau in terms of respectively cultural renewal, anti-colonialism, and civil war, and the Kiambu enigma. The final chapter indicates possible leads for comparison with the 1947-Madagascar war and the UPC insurrections in Cameroon. Show less
During the course of 1978, the three Family Life Training Centres studied admitted 273 women accompanied by 674 children. Women with malnourished children (and their siblings) are admitted to these... Show moreDuring the course of 1978, the three Family Life Training Centres studied admitted 273 women accompanied by 674 children. Women with malnourished children (and their siblings) are admitted to these centres for a 3-week course consisting primarily of nutrition and health education, but also covering good housekeeping and agriculture. During their stay mothers are taught to prepare a balanced diet from local foods to treat their children's condition. A group of 61 mothers and 94 children were interviewed and examined at admission, at discharge and at their homes, six months afterwards. A control group consisting of 100 mothers and 147 children drawn from two rural areas were interviewed and examined twice over the same period. The study concentrated on: (a) socio-economic circumstances; (b) nutritional knowledge; (c) maternal food preferences; (d) food consumption of the children; and (e) nutritional status and progress of the children. It was found that the nutritional knowledge and preferences of the women admitted to the centres were no less than that of other rural Kikuyu women, and it appeared that malnutrition is related more to adverse socio-economic circumstances than to ignorance Show less
