As foreshadowed above the post WWII era, if not changed, was leading toward a massive Kikuyu revolt. During the 1930s and 40s, extensive land reforms and changes throughout the colony plagued the Kikuyu farmers. It was estimated in 1944 that all of the Africans in Kenya were crowded into 30 million acres, while 1,890 Europeans had 11 million acres, and only cultivated half a million. The Kikuyu reserves were over populated, over cultivated and over grazed land, and there was extensive over-crowding and unemployment in Nairobi. There was no suitable place for an African native to settle and earn a living. Time was running out, as we will see the squatters and peasants that occupied the reserves and the alienated people of the city would no longer stand for the exploitations of their labor and land by the colonial powers. It is these actions taken by the reservist, squatters and city people and they helped lay the foundational beliefs of

Throup, David. "The Origins of Mau Mau." African Affairs 84 (1985): 399-433.

With masses of natives frustrated and angry with the colonial government, feelings of militancy began to spread. The African settlement of Olenguruone exemplifies this spread in relation to government actions. "Olenguruone provide a rallying point for all disgruntle Kikuyu. . . for all were seeking ways and means of dealing with colonial oppression and, ultimately, colonial rule."

The squatters did not have much of a choice in what to do. They could return to the over crowed reserves or move into Nairobi and be landless. Neither of these two seemed to be a viable option for most squatters. Yet, the government forced many to return to the reserves. In 1946, after an act of protest when the squatters refused to reattest, over 3,000 were forced to leave the White Highlands. These displaced squatters flocked to the reserves; this compounded the problems already faced there.

Because we are heading for a great victory.

In an effort of "de-tribalization" on part of the colonial government, they tried to remove the Kikuyu from their traditional social and political relationships. Rather than keeping connections with chiefs and other traditional leaders - as on the reserves - within Nairobi the government placed all the control in the European dominated Municipal Courts. They were not concerned with the Africans problems as a whole, but were "interested in the locations when African discontent or crime threatened to spill over into the European business area or suburbs."

Some common words found in the essay are:
Mau Mau, David Thourp, White Highlands, Africans Kenya, Mau Rebellion, Naivasha District, Municipal Courts, Traditional Kikuyu, Cleansing Department, District Councils, mau mau, kikuyu reserves, squatter communities, reserves squatter, reserves squatter communities, colonial government, peasants occupied reserves, land freedom, peasants occupied, kikuyu farmers, london james, origins mau mau, london james curry, post wwii,
Approximate Word count = 1866
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)