A colonial-era ‘Strategic Village’ in Kiambicho Forest, Kenya

Villagisation – the forcible removal of rural populations into internment camp-like settlements – was a policy of counterinsurgency and social engineering employed by the British colonial government in Kenya during the Mau Mau rebellion (1952–60). In 2021 a uniquely well-preserved example of these ‘strategic villages’ was discovered in Kiambicho Forest. This article describes a preliminary survey of the structural remains at the site, intended as a foundation for future survey and excavation.