•For over eight decades now, the cemetery has remained a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by servicemen and women during World War I and World War II.
•And, even as King Charles III and Queen Camilla embarks on their first ever trip to the country, fond memories of the war that claimed the lives of many Kenyans are set to be evoked.
Image: COURTESY
About two kilometres northeast of the bustling Nairobi city centre lies a serene 'garden of remembrance'—Kariokor cemetery.
The cemetery is one of the 38 Commonwealth war graves and sites in the country and holds significant historical and cultural importance.
For over eight decades now, the cemetery has remained a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by servicemen and women during World War I and World War II.
And, even as King Charles III and Queen Camilla embark on their first-ever trip to the country, fond memories of the war that claimed the lives of many Kenyans are set to be evoked.
Kariokor was a recruitment depot for African labourers conscripted into the war.
British colonists had enacted The Native Followers Recruitment Ordinance of 1915, which allowed compulsory recruitment of 3,000 natives every month, brought from rural villages to Nairobi.
It is estimated that more than 4,000 African conscripts mostly Kenyans died of sickness or on the battlefield.
Why Kariokor was chosen as an ideal site?
In 1919 or thereabout, a few months after the end of the War, King George V formed a Commonwealth Graves Commission (CWGC).
The aim was to recover as many bodies as possible of British soldiers killed on the battlefields with a view to accord them a decent burial.
Historians argue that as the remains of Europeans were being collected, it was discovered that Africans and Indians who had also played a role in the war had been forgotten.
This prompted him to order separate cemeteries for these categories to be established.
These were done along religious and racial lines.
Since most Africans did not have identifications, it was agreed that statues be put up in their honour and this explains why we have a statue along Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi.
It was designed by British sculptor, James Alexander Stevenson.
It has these words inscribed- “This is to the memory of the native African troops who fought; to the carriers who were the hands and feet of the army and to all other men who served and died for their king and country in Eastern Africa in the Great War, 1914-1918. If you fight for your country, even if you die, your sons will remember your name."
When World War II started in 1939, the British were this time cautious not to repeat the mistake they made of neglecting African soldiers.
Part of Kariokor Cemetery was reserved for the burial of African war casualties.
On this site, there are 59 burials, three of which are said to be unidentified of African regiments including the King’s African Rifles, East African Army Service Corps and the East African Army Medical Corps.
On its website, CWGC said it works with Museums of Kenya to ensure that the cemetery remains a key part of the local community in Nairobi.
The project includes constructing a boundary wall and gatehouse and engaging the local community near this site.
This work, alongside Museums of Kenya, will ensure that the cemetery remains a key heritage location reinforcing Kenya’s history during the world wars and the sacrifices of those commemorated there.