An Embattled Colonial Officer In East Africa

Richard Meinertzhagen

An Embattled Colonial Officer In East Africa

· Richard Meinertzhagen (1878-1967) was stationed in Kenya from 1902 to 1906, serving on the raw frontier of imperialism.

· August 20,1902 Richard describes the retaliation of the British when a policeman is killed by local tribesman.

o British attack punitive force and killed many more of the locals for the singular offence of the one policeman, even though other British men are killed in the fighting.

o Natives are repressed with enough force to submit to British and fear them.

· September 8, 1902 Richard describes another massacre of the natives for killing a white man.

o He is trouble by his work and horrified with the mistreatment of the body of the white man.

o Richard conscious is haunted by his actions

· November 23, 1902 Richard sees the future conflicts between whites and the natives in contrast to those who see a great future in East Africa.

· January 12, 1904 Richard observes that the administrators in Africa are of a lower class and no fit for Civil Service so high standards for administration cannot be set

· February 19, 1904 Richard orders for any of his men or Africans in his troops to be shot if they kill women or children.

o Some of his men disobey and they are shot

· July 27, 1904 Richard continues to show a sympathy for the useless killing of man and big game but seems disillusioned by the violence and losing faith in sanctity of human life

· September 15, 1905 Richard describes his unhappiness with prolonged time in Africa and the effects of living among the savages. He states that he feels himself becoming brutalized by Africa

· March 17, 1906 Richard continues to show a wanting to return to his true culture

· March 20, 1906 Richard reflects on his time with the natives of Africa and decides that they are so different from the white man that one cannot understand them without years of living amongst them.