What inspired me to write:
What inspired me to be a doctor, an engineer, a nurse, a health specialist, a politician, a priest, a nun, a journalist, …. Whatever! Mervyn Maciel kicks off what I hope will become a regular feature of my blog with your contributions!!!!!!!!
My
dream was always to leave behind – not just for my immediate family, but
posterity,
a factual record of what life was for Goans who ventured into the unknown wilds
of Kenya’s Northern Frontier during the colonial era.
I
also wanted to repay the many tribesmen whose attitude to life was so different
from our own and who taught me a lot –simple folk with hearts of gold who still
inspire me.
Encouraged
by family and friends, my first book was born some thirty years ago. Plaudits
from former colonials and others encouraged me to persevere
and
with ‘nudging’ from Mel D’Souza of Canada, my second book appeared.
My
hope is that others will come forward to share their own experiences.
We
had an exceptionally interesting life in East Africa, despite the ugly face
of
discrimination.
What
our colonial masters forgot is that we were equal human beings like them, eager
to make a success of our lives despite the many obstacles put in our way. We
also wanted our children and grandchildren to prosper and do
better
than we did.
We were capable of many things, but in the colonial mindset, we were
not
allowed to rise higher than to a senior clerical position even though we were
capable of assuming responsibility. We were not given the opportunity to
show
our capabilities. In a way, I feel we were made to feel inferior even though we
could compete with many White men who found themselves in a more senior
position purely because of the colour of their skin. Our latent talents were
not exploited, and in a way, I feel we were ‘muzzled’ and deprived of
displaying our true worth.
We
were thrown into the Service without any training as our European colleagues
enjoyed. We were thrown in at the deep end and had to swim or sink! Our efforts
were taken for granted and in a way, I feel we were made good use of without
any monetary compensation.
A
lot of this changed with the advent of Uhuru(Freedom) in Kenya and
at
long last, things began to change for the better, but too slowly in my opinion.
In
many cases, we were called upon to undertake tasks well outside our humble
calling and without adequate financial reward. It was assumed that we could do
anything - very much taken for granted.
In
the twilight of my life, I feel some of these facts need to be recorded if only
to
show how, despite the many hurdles, we overcame these and contributed in no
small way to Kenya’s development. The contribution we made is sometimes
forgotten giving the impression that only the White Man contributed to Kenya’s
development. This is far from the truth.
Given the opportunity early in life, we could have also shone. In recording my experiences, I am in no way criticising the many European officials who were on our side but who, because of the operating status quo, could not make their voices heard. They knew what we were worth and some even took up our cases forcefully; but of the prevailing red tape, we were certainly not given our true worth.
I
speak with no bitterness but feel it is right to record what we went through in
Colonial Kenya.
I started my career in the Kenya Civil Service in 1947 and
served for nearly 20 years in various districts, the most appealing being
those in the Northern Frontier. I moved to the UK in 1966 following the
Africanisation of my post, working in the Private Sector for many years.
I wrote my East African memoirs (Bwana Karani) in 1985 and a
further book (From Mtoto to Mzee) in 2014. Elsie and I had been
active members of various organisations in our community, including our local
church, and craft groups as well as being involved in both the overseas East
African and Goan communities.
For many years we have happily ‘toiled’ away in our local allotment and
made our own wine, Goan food and pickles. I have continued my passion for
writing, contributing freelance pieces for a variety of Christian, Goan and
East African publications.
Over the years I have also been committed to volunteering my time to
needy causes including feeding the homeless, visiting the sick, and singing in
care homes and at 91 (Covid19 allowing) I still work 2 days a week for an
International Catholic Charity. All proceeds from both my books are donated to
missionary efforts in Kenya, whose people have always held a special place in in
my heart and my late Elsie’s heart too.
The Colonials and lots of matata!
To begin with, let me make it clear that not
all the wazungu I met during my service career were
difficult to get on with – some later became my good friends!
I was in Nairobi for a very short time and the
only Europeans I met were Captain Mervyn Wood
(my dad’s former boss and the D.C. who was
soon to retire, j.. Douglas McKeen.
Well received by Capt. Wood who spoke highly
of my dad and hoped I had inherited some of his qualities. Not much contact
with Mr McKeen as I was a comparative junior at the time.
Later, it was my posting to Mombasa that
brought me in close contact. with the District Commissioner,
Gordon Skipper, a New Zealander with a fierce-looking
countenance was my first D.C in Mombasa.
Although a comparative newcomer to the
service, I found that Mr Skipper relied on me a lot since the District Clerk at
the time, Mr Cordeiro, suffered from ill health. This meant that I, a newly
appointed Civil servant had to step into the breach and take on responsibility
for which I was not really trained. My efforts didn’t go unnoticed and
after a brief spell of relieving duty in Kilifi, my bosses felt that I was now
ready to be left on my own. This resulted in my posting to another
district, Voi, where I was asked to relieve a Goan colleague whose services had
just been terminated. Here, I was to meet my new boss, D.C. Kenneth Cowley, a
very likeable individual, who took to me instantly, after he found out that I
was very good at drafting letters! I enjoyed my time with Mr. Cowley, and
later briefly with his successor, Mr. Alan Stevens (who months later, was assassinated
at his post in East Suk district. Mr Cowley and I remain good friends even
after he was promoted to Provincial Commissioner and even later when I moved to
Britain.
From Voi, I was transferred to that inferno in
the North – Turkana! Being young, I was all out for adventure and soon got to
like the simple Turkana tribesmen. My boss was a man who could be described as
the “Sole Ruler of Turkana”. Leslie Whitehouse was a former schoolmaster in
Narok district; someone who loved working among the nomadic Turkana
despite the most oppressive heat of the region. He wanted to be left in this
district ‘forever’ and always returned there after his overseas leave in
Britain. Mr Whitehouse was held in awe by his District Officers and many of the
tribesmen too. Despite his fiery temper (which I put down to the excessive
heat), Whitehouse was a thorough English gentleman with whom I got on well. He
appreciated hard work and always rewarded this by allowing us, the Goan staff
to get away from the Boma to nearby Lake Rudolf (now Turkana) or to the down
country farming town of Kitale.
Whitehouse had a young District Officer under
him -Oliver Knowles, with whom I got on well. The administrative strength was
increased in later years with the posting of yet another District Officer –
this time, a Scotsman, Patrick Crichton with whom I got on well too. Much
later, another D.O. was posted Kenneth Keith; Keith and I became close friends
and it was he who often carried my letters down to my fiancée (Elsie) in Kitale,
whenever he went down to see his wife and family who were housed at the
neighbouring substation of Kapenguria, just outside Kitale. Oliver Knowles and
I remained good friends even when I met him again when we moved to Britain. His
wife, June, was an author in her own right and a good friend too.
After nearly 18 months in the heat of Turkana,
I was posted to, what I can only describe as an “oasis” Marsabit district in
the Northern Frontier- climate-wise, just the opposite of Turkana, but I
loved the cool of Marsabit Mountain. Here I met my new D.C., Gerard Bebb, who
somehow gave me the impression that he’d rather be in a more “civilised”
district than in the frontier. Bebb took very little interest in his Goan staff
and tended to rely on a European Works Superintendent (locally known as Major
Reg. Porter) – someone I couldn’t stand or get on with since he was intruding
into my sphere of work with which he had no connection. It is because of the
weakness of the D.C. (Bebb) that he tried to assume the upper hand – something
I could not stand. I had to give him a piece of my mind on many an occasion and
he soon got the message.
Another European (a Mr Randall, who worked for
the P.W.D. also tried to ‘bully’ me by trying to take over when the D>C>
was on safari. (Some white officers of other departments, felt it was their
duty to ‘act’ when the D.C. was away on safari. I wouldn’t stand for this and
felt that in the D.C’s absence –since there was no District Officer at the
time), it was my duty to step into the breach since I handled everything else
in the D.C.’s absence. I don’t think some White officers liked me and I was not
going to allow them to ride over me as they might have bullied my predecessors.
Bebb was replaced by “Windy” Wild, a man |I
had first met when I was stationed at Voi and he, in the soon-to-be-opened
Mackinnon Road substation.
Wild and I got on like a house on fire and,
since he was not keen on routine office work – he preferred going on safari- he
left most of the routine administrative matters to me. I loved this change
since writing letters/reports were right up my street!
What I forgot to mention earlier is
that the “Big Boss” of the N.F.D. at the time was Richard Turnbull, Provincial
Commissioner) , a very efficient administrator, who wouldn’t tolerate
inefficiency. I got on well with Mr Turnbull (years later, after serving as
Minister for Defence, later Acting Governor of Kenya -he ended up as the last
colonial Governor of Tanganyika. - Sir Richard Turnbull). We became good
friends, and on my move to the U.K., I met him and later got him to write the
Foreword to my first book –‘Bwana Karani’)
His place at Isiolo was taken firstly by
Desmond O’Hagan and much later by the ornithologist, Myles North – with both of
whom I got on well.
Before going on overseas leave with my brand
new wife (Elsie) and first born(Clyde) – I was posted to Kitale, Elsie’s home
town. Here, my D.C. was a lovely man who had attended our wedding and with whom
I got on well. John Carson always addressed me by my Christian name and with
whom I got on well.
Still at Kitale, Carson was replaced by
Christopher Denton, a true Englishman, young and energetic. Denton and I got on
famously as I was a great help to him especially during the Mau Mau Emergency
when he was often out at Security meetings and left the office work all to me.
He was very appreciative of my help and even tried to get me an accelerated
promotion which, sadly, under the then-existing Civil Service Rules was not
allowable. Denton and I left Kitale together – he as Private Secretary to the
Governor and I back to my favourite spot – Marsabit!
My next posting was to the vast South
Nyanza district in Nyanza Province where my D.C was a man with a fiery
temper. Jack Wolff. somehow, took to me after he saw that I’d transformed the
district office into a more efficient establishment. Wolff was replaced by the
man I first met in Mombasa – the New Zealander, Gordon Skipper. Being a fairly
large district (which was much later divided), there were several D.Os and
District Assistants. Those I remember are – Pat de Warren Waller, Roy
Spendlove, John Lowdell, George Grimmett, Peter Wheeler Mike Philips, Chris
Minter and District Assistants – Paul Massey(who I later replaced -but with no
monetary reward and Ray Hawes, the District Revenue Officer. I got on
well with most of these officials.
My next move was on promotion to the Ministry
of Agriculture. I was posted to Machakos where the Provincial Agricultural
Officer then was Reg. Spooner, soon to move to a post with the United Nations.
He was replaced by Dick Henderson, a great man with whom I got on well and who
was the second White officer in the service to address me by my Christian name
and expected me to address him similarly. (the first was John Carson, D.C.
Kitale) What a change after all these years of servitude I thought !!Dick and I
got on very well indeed. But I had soon to leave on overseas leave, and on
return was posted to the Plant Breeding Research Station at Njoro – in the
heart of the White Highlands. Here my boss was Hugh Thorpe who was soon to
leave to take up a post with the United Nations in Teheran. Hugh took to me
immediately and even got me to accompany him to a meeting at Ministry
Headquarters in Nairobi which was being addressed by the Minister for Agriculture,
Bruce McKenzie. I believe I was the first non-White official to attend such a
meeting. Hugh Thorpe was later replaced by Giles Dixon as Senior Plant
Breeder.
The Asst. Plant Breeder was Ken Lynch while
the Plant Pathologist was Dr. John Guthrie. There was also a Swedish Seeds
officer – Nils Lumsden, later replaced by Dave Ensor. In addition there was a
Farmer Manager (George Roberts – who had a fiery temper and with whom I clashed
and later got him to apologise. Phil Edwards. The Office Superintended, who I
later replaced was Jim Crawford, a victim of M.S.
Later we had two Canadians- Drs Petersen and Henry Enns joined the team as part
of the Rockefeller Programme. Following Giles Dixon’s early retirement, we had
Mike Harrison and Brian Dowker as Senior Plant Breeders.
This was a time when Kenya was heading for
independence, and when I found out my post had been Africanised (despite an
assurance given by the newly-appointed African Chief Research Officer (Dr
Njoroge), - I decided it was time to leave and, with great regret, my family
and I bade goodbye to the land of my birth and a land my family and I loved so
dearly – Kenya! It was finally KWAHERI KENYA!
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