Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 28 March 1953, page 1


Mau Mau bands massacre 200

Nairobi, Friday

MAU MAU bands massacred at least 200

loyal Kikuyu tribesmen and their families in a night of terror last night at Lari, only 10 miles from Nairobi.

The massacre is be-lieved to be the work of Kikuyu - tribesmen re-cently repatriated from the Rift Valley.

All the victims were Kikuyu Home Guards, or Government servants living on the reserve.

Among those killed was Chief Luka, slashed to death with his three wives.

The women, all about to become mothers, were mur-dered in front of their other children, who then also were hacked to pieces.

Doors barred

The Mau Mau gangs began their massacre about 10.30 p.m., when the hut doors of their intended victims were bolted and barred.

The huts were set on fire, and when the occupants rushed out they were at-tacked with axes, long knives, and short swords.

Many others who did not escape from the huts were burned to death.

One of the intended vic-tims was Chief Makenei, who beat off a gang raiding his hut, and shot one dead.

The raider was later identified as one of the re-patriated members of the tribe.