Legacies of empire: state violence and collective punishment in Kenya's North Eastern Province, c. 1963-present

Abstract

This article reflects on the dual historical evolution of the use of state violence and collective punishment in Kenya, with particular reference to the Somali inhabited North Eastern Province. The use of collective punishment began under British rule as a strategy designed to control its African population, and was central to British counterinsurgency during the 1950s Mau Mau Emergency. This system of government was then entrenched and expanded by the postcolonial elite as a means of dealing with a population that was perceived to be hostile to the interests of the state. The article provides evidence of both colonial continuities and discontinuities with regard to population control methods.