National Shrines in Tana River Mau Mau Hola Monument: Simply Important All else equal, the risk parity of Mau Mau detainees was not intricately tied to the crime committed or the punishment predicated on positive reformation. The harsher the sentence in the camps, the greater benefit of pacifying the country during the state of emergency. And the outcome and imminent danger of this hard-hearted stance was always predictable, as Hola Massacre aptly proved. On run up to Hola Massacre, in the 1950s, the Colonial government had hastily built at least two dozen prisons around the county, including Hola Prison. Often in isolated and semi-arid areas, they were chiefly built to detain hard core Mau-Mau fighters. This enhanced authority and power was in response to the countryside crisis, civil arrest and outcry for self-rule. Parallel hardline measures also included imposing curfews, restricting movement, censoring media, suspending certain legal rights, allocating resources to emergency response, and legislative oversight. While conditions were dismal and bleaks in the prison, by design, it was Hola, in particular that spooked the nation with gruesome horror stories of cruelty and ruthlessness on the part of the British forces. At the peak of its calamities, Hola Prison housed 517 detainees, in deteriorated and appalling conditions. In 1959, on the wend to the massacre, there were 208 detainees, amongst whom were 66 able-bodied men who had refused to work and from whom trouble had always been considered. On a lesser extent, the protest by inmates over living conditions and iniquities was up to this point met with fury and destructive brutality. The plot and chain of responsibility as was ascertained was not entirely confined to Mr. Lewis and Mr. Sullivan, the commissioner and commandant, respectively. It began on 11th February, when Mr. Cowan drew up his plan: “It is assumed that the party would obey this order (to proceed to the work site) but should they refuse they would be manhandled to the site of work and forced to carry out the task”. There was an effort to avert the crisis. On February 17th, the Commissioner of Prisons (Lewis) addressed a minute to the Minister of Defence in relation to the operation of the Cowan Plan, in anticipation that someone was going to get hurt or killed, lending credence to that fact the authorities knew – or at least ought to have known – that there was looming danger. In a statement recounting day's events, the warder narrated: “When I went out with the Askaris that morning I thought they would use batons against any able-bodied prisoner refusing work without further instructions from me because I had been so instructed”. On March 3rd, 1959, all hell broke loose at Hola Prison. Sullivan, the commandant, had marched the able-bodied men out of the camp en bloc. But compared with what happened at the work site, what happened on the road was comparatively minor. The worst beatings took place after the men had been divided into groups of twenty at least, twenty feet apart, which was one of the facets of Cowan Plan. In the ensuing breach of peace, utterly disregarding any civil liberties, eleven inmates were clubbed to death by the aggressive wardens. A number of other inmates admitted in hospital had bruises, two with possible fractures, and all had high temperatures. To make matters worse to this emergency response efforts was the system of imprisonment without trial. None of the casualties had been convicted of any crime, but they were in a position worse than that of any felon. The question almost universally asked both in the country and outside was why no one had been immediately prosecuted for the Hola massacre. Mr. Lewis, the Commissioner of Prisons, was reprimanded and retired from service as was Mr. Sullivan, Commandant of the Camp. On July 27, 1959, at the British Parliament hearing of the Fairn Report of Hola, to ponder the wider question of detention without trial in British Dependencies of British subjects and British-protected persons, more particularly in Kenya, Southern Rhodesia and Nyasaland – with special reference to the event at Hola, it was resolved that detainees were not criminals and their detention should be made as little irksome as possible. Undoubtedly, up until the Hola massacre took place, British officials in power supported the Government of Kenya consistently in refusing any independent inquiry into the camps where suspected Mau Mau were detained. “It is important that we should try to keep a sense of perspective about the Hola incident. I would ask the House to consider carefully whether, from the point of view of the service itself, it is not fair to compare this incident with a disaster such as an air crash or railway accident, in which many people – often entirely innocent people – lose their lives due to a human error of judgment or a misunderstanding” – Amstrong. The twist of the knife was the official at Hola had initially sought to cover up the incident. They had claimed their deaths were the result of drinking contaminated water. However, is that this claim was nothing short of a whitewash. The Hola Monument is located within Mau Mau Girls Secondary School nearby Hola Police Station. A panel contains the names of the eleven slayed men: Kabui Kamam, Ndungu Kibaki, Mwema Kinuthia, Kinyanjui Njoroge, Koroma Mburu, Karanja Munuthi, Ikeno Ikiro, Migwi Ndegwa, Kaman Karanja, Mungai Githi, Ngugi Karitie. Shrines – big and small – hold significant religious, historical, or political import and serve as symbols of identity, remembrance, and reverence. These sites also play important roles in preserving Kenya's collective memory, fostering unity, and promoting patriotism: Places of reflection and commemoration for sacrifices and achievements made by past generations, and honored for future prosperity. Index of National Shrines in Kenya Baringo County - Kolloa Cross Shrine , Homa Bay County - Tom Mboya Mausoleum , Kakamega County - The Muliro Gardens , Kericho County - Gurdwara Sahib , Kericho Wagon Works , Tulwap Kipsigis Hill , Kiambu County - Travellers Chapel, Scott Watson Memorial Church, Kilifi County - Mekatilili wa Menza Shrine , Ronald Ngala Mausoleum , Kitui County - Museve Shrine, Mombasa County - The Swaminarayan Indian Temple, Johann Krapf Memorial Shrine, Nairobi County - Resurrection Garden, Jomo Kenyatta Mausoleum, Mashujaa Monument, City Park, Uhuru Gardens, Nakuru County - Marian Shrine, Nandi County - Mberere Holy Springs , Kabiyet Shrine , Nyeri County - African Bible on the Ground Shrine, Dedan Kimathi Trench, The Mau Mau Post Office, Irene Nyaatha Shrine, Meru County - Kaaga War Memorial, Muranga County - Wangu Wa Makeri Shrine, Mukurwe Wa Nyagathanga Shrine , Tana River County - Mau Mau Hola Memorial Monument , Uasin Gishu County - Alexander Kipsang Muge Mausoleum , Wajir County - Wagalla Memorial Monument , Vihiga County - Chabuga Mausoleum Tana River County is a rewarding destination for travelers interested in exploring off-the-beaten-path locations in Kenya. River Tana is the longest river in Kenya, flowing through the county and offering opportunities for riverine activities such as boat cruises, fishing, and birdwatching. Tana River County is home to the Orma and Pokomo ethnic groups, each with rich cultural traditions, music, and dances. You Are Here: Mau Mau Monument Where to Next? Explore Destinations Near Mau Mau Monument A Guide to Tana River County A Summa Digest of Tana River About Tana River Way Back When 28 Destinations in Tana River County , arranged as one would visit these - north to south - with the aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart: Ngao Neukirchen Church , Lake Shakababo , Delta Dunes Lodge , Ozi Conservation Area , Tana River Lodge , Old Town Kipini , Ungwana Bay Ruins , Shaka Ruins , Mwana Ruins , Fumo Liyongo Shrine , Kipini Conservancy , Red Cliff Camp , River Tana Delta , Tana Delta Colonial Forts , Tana Delta Cultural Centre , Tana Primate National Reserve , Mchelelo Bandas , Ndera Conservancy , Mau Mau Hola Monument , Hola Methodist Church , Bura St. Jude , Bura Irrigation Scheme , Bura East Conservancy , Arawale National Reserve , George Adamson's Grave , Kora National Park , Adamson's Fall , Tana River Bridge Know More About Tana River County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including a distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments What's The Air Like In T. River? Tana River has a hot and dry climate with average annual temperatures of 30 o C; the highest,41 o C, is in January-March and the lowest being 20 o  C in June-July. Rainfall is low, bi-modal, and erratic. What's The Lay Of The Land In C.04? The land generally sloping eastward, Tana River is all undulating plain that is only interrupted in a few places by low hills – at Bilibil and Bura. Know More About Tana River County…

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