The Mau Mau was a militant African nationalist movement that originated primarily among the Kikuyu people of Kenya by the 1950s. It emerged in response to grievances over land dispossession, economic inequality, and political exclusion under British colonial rule. The Mau Mau Rebellion began in 1952, with the Mau Mau embarking on a campaign of sabotage and assassination. British colonial authorities declared a state of emergency in October that year. Although the British military response against the Mau Mau Rebellion was largely over by the end of 1956, the state of emergency was not lifted until 1960. British counterinsurgency measures during 1952–60 included mass detention, forced resettlement, and coercive efforts to suppress nationalist activity.
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