ARREST AND INTERROGATION

ARREST AND INTERROGATION

On Thursday, June 2, 1982, six armed plainclothes policemen knocked on the door of my residence at Kenyatta University campus, Nairobi, and demanded to search the house. In defiance, my wife told them that they could not search the house without a warrant. They pushed her out of the way and walked in. I was not in the house.

The search lasted four hours. Everything in the house was turned upside down. They told my wife that they were looking for seditious publications. They found none. Instead they confiscated a personal typewriter, 29 files of my research work on the Mau Mau Movement, 23 books including works of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Castro, Che Guevera, Ngugi wa Thiong'o and my own book, Thunder from the Mountains. When they were leaving, they told my wife that I was wanted by the police and should report to the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

When I reported in the following morning, I was arrested, thrown into a police van and taken to the Special Branch Police (Kenya political police). As I entered the Special Branch Office, I found six policemen busily going through my research files and books. A seventh, was examining my typewriter. I could see the hate and rage in their faces.

"Have you read all these books, Professor Maina?" Mr. Rono, the officer-in-charge of the Special Branch police in Nairobi, asked.

"Yes, and many more. I have more than 3,000 books in my home library. But is it a crime by the law of this land to read these books? These books are not banned in Kenya. "

"Do you know that Ngugi's books are dangerous, they are communist books?"

"I think Ngugi can defend his own writing; you can go and ask him."

With icy contempt, he retorted: "You must be a dangerous communist; people like you Should not be allowed to teach our children or to enter the university gate. You should be shot instead. But let me advise you; if you want to leave here alive, you MUST talk, you MUST cooperate; otherwise we are going to make you cooperate. We are the government."

After this lavish advice, I was ordered to strip naked and sit down on a chair. My hands were chained to the chair and I could not move at all. From the moment the brutal interrogation started, everything in the room changed and the language of coercion and violence was introduced. I did not know how to defend myself physically but I was certain that I was going to defend my ideas regardless of the consequences.

Police: Maina, we know you are a Communist and we have the information to prove it...now, we want to know how much money the Soviet Union is paying you to spread Communism in Kenya?

Maina: I have no political ties with the Soviet Union. As for my political belief - I believe in Scientific Socialism.

Police: Is it true that you have been using the university classrooms to indoctrinate students with the ideology of Marxism-Leninism and to prepare them for the overthrow of the elected Government of Kenya?

Maina: The University pays me to teach the students the truth and that is what I have been doing. Yes, I use Marxism-Leninism as a scientific tool to analyze our society and definitely that is not a crime against the state. It is my constitutional right.

Police: You are playing with words and if that is what you want, we are the masters of the game... I hope we don't have to use violence in order to make you cooperate.

Maina: That is a threat and...

Police: Let us forget about Communism for a while. Why are you doing research on the Mau Mau Movement? Do you know Mau Mau issue is political and sensitive and would divide the people of Kenya? Secondly, you know it is a crime to do any academic research in this country without the government's permission.

Maina: First, you know that I am a historian and as a historian my first responsibility is to the people of Kenya as well as to the history of our country. In this case, my research is aimed at documenting our people's heroism during the Mau Mau war of national independence and at the same time I would be contributing a chapter to our national history, and that is not a crime. Furthermore, all of us here agree that this chapter of our history is the most glorious since we wrote it with the blood of our hearts.

Police: Professor, we don't want a lecture. I think you should answer the question. We are warning you. Our patience is running out.

Maina: Alright, I will answer. Constitutionally, it is not a crime to write the history of Mau Maul I think the Constitution of this land guarantees us the right to academic freedom, the right to freedom of thought and expression...well, if you are not satisfied with my answer, charge me, take me to court. I am getting tired.

Police: Be patient with us, Professor. In fact, we are not trying to confuse you. All that we want to know is the main reason why you are so committed to this academic research. Do you remember that Mzee Kenyatta said that we all fought for uhuru in our own ways? Why are you going over the fence to awaken the sleeping dogs? Who else is behind this academic destruction of our national unity? Basically, this is a deliberate atrempt to create political havoc in the country and we are not going to allow it; we are going to make sure that you and the others like you pay in pain for your crimes.

Maina: I think I have answered all those questions. But allow me to point out that Kenyatta tried to bury the history of Mau Mau like you are trying to do tonight. Even if it takes the people of Kenya a thousand years they will one day write that glorious chapter of our history. Torture and imprisonment will not frighten them.

Police: Do you believe in the Nyayo philosophy?

Maina: No.

Police: Why?

Maina: First it is not a philosophy. Secondly, my conscience cannot allow me to follow the State President blindly; I am not a buffoon. I have my own ideas and beliefs, and these ideas and beliefs are not for sale.

Police: Let us talk about something else. Do you know or can you tell us who produces and distributes anti-government leaflets on the university campuses?

Maina: I don't know.

Police: Professor, don't play games... We know that you are one of the people who produce these anti-government leaflets on the university campuses. We have the information.

Maina: If you have the information, why are you asking me?

There was dead silence in the room for a minute or two, then Superintendent Rono stood and angrily said:

Since you have refused to cooperate, there will be no food, no water, no blankets for you. You will remain naked and chained until you cooperate... until you give us the information we want. Professor Maina, we know that Malxists are tough men, and in order to confess they must be put against the wall and have their testicles burned with fire until they confess. Don 't force us to take this action, confess. We will be back at 8:00 a.m. to receive your Confession Think it over... we are not playing; we take our work seriously. "

As they were leaving the room, one of the interrogators spat in my face and called me a liar and a traitor. They handed me over to a night guard...

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