The Giriama Risings of 1913-1914

The Giriama (or Giryama), one of the Nyika tribes of the coastal region of Kenya, reacted violently in 1913 and 1914 to the sudden establishment of effective colonial rule. Their defensive effort, which has received almost no attention from historians, is an interesting example of primary resistance by a stateless people and its suppression by a colonial regime. The Giriama rising, while hardly a serious threat to the British position in Kenya, did hinder military operations against the Germans in the early weeks of World War One. In the end, government authority was clearly established, but some important conces sions were made to the tribe.