1998/01/01 by T. Natsoulas · 2 citations
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics #African history and culture studies #Historical Gender and Feminism Studies
paper · doi:10.1177/002190969803300201
openalex publication_date 1998/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
The ban on female circumcision and the rise of the Kikuyu independent schools between 1929 and 1932 in Kenya were interrelated and politicized. In their desire to eliminate female circumcision, several Protestant mission societies, not only forbade their followers from its practice, but also membership in the Kikuyu Central Association (KCA), the major African political organization. This coupling of the two and the subsequent rise of independent schools, gave the KCA the opportunity to rally the Kikuyu to its support and gained unprecedented popularity. The KCA became the champions of cultural Kikuyu heritage. The colonial authorities were brought into the controversy by both the missions and the KCA, and although they tried to take a moderate approach, their vacillation failed to depoliticize the situation.