Located near

Nanyuki Nanyuki is a Market town in Laikipia County of Kenya lying northwest of Mount Kenya along the A2 road and at the terminus of the branch railway from Nairobi. The name is derived from Enyaanyukie Maasai word for resemblance. It is situated just ...

, about 199.2 km North East of

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

in Kenya's Central Province, the Mau Mau Cave was used as a hide-out by Kenyan Freedom Fighters during the

Mau Mau Uprising The Mau Mau rebellion (1952–1960), also known as the Mau Mau uprising, Mau Mau revolt or Kenya Emergency, was a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920–1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), also known as the ''Mau Mau'', an ...

of 1952 to 1960. It is located approximately 18 km south of the equator inside the thick

Mount Kenya National Park Mount Kenya National Park was established in 1949 to protect Mount Kenya, the wildlife and surrounding environment, which forms a habitat for wilderness, wild animals, as well as acting as an area for the catchment of water, to supply Kenya's wate ...

History

The cave was discovered in 1953 by the Mau Mau freedom fighters fighting the British colonial government soon after the declaration of the

State of Emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

in 1952. It was bombed by British forces in 1959 after the location was obtained from a member of the Land and Freedom Army. Approximately 200Nairobi River Mau Mau Cave
/ref> people lost their lives in the cave during the bombardment, and their remains can still be seen amongst the rubble. It was gazetted in 2003 by th
Museums of Kenya
and declared a national monument.

References

External links

Nairobi River Mau Mau Cave

Museums of Kenya
{{coord, 0, 18, 40, S, 36, 57, 46, E, region:KE_type:adm1st_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Mau Mau Uprising Monuments and memorials in Kenya Caves of Kenya