Mau-Mau Cave, Historical cave system in Nyeri County, Kenya.
Mau-Mau Cave is a rock shelter in the thick Mount Kenya National Park, about 18 km south of the equator and roughly 18 km from Nanyuki in Nyeri County. It lies in forested terrain within the park, and its interior was used as a hide-out during the Mau Mau Uprising.
Mau Mau fighters discovered the cave in 1953, soon after the State of Emergency was declared in 1952, and used it as a hide-out during the uprising against British colonial rule. In 1959 British forces bombed it after obtaining its location from a member of the Land and Freedom Army; about 200 people died inside, and their remains can still be seen among the rubble. It was gazetted in 2003 by the Museums of Kenya and declared a national monument.
The cave's name comes from the Kenya Land and Freedom Army, known as the Mau Mau, who hid here from 1953. About 200 fighters died in the 1959 bombing, and their remains still lie among the rubble. The site was gazetted as a national monument in 2003, and guides today point out those remains to visitors.
Access to the cave requires hiking through forest on a marked trail that takes several hours, so wear sturdy shoes and bring water. A rope bridge crosses the river to reach the entrance, and the interior passages are slippery and dark, so a headlamp or flashlight is helpful.
The cave was gazetted by the Museums of Kenya in 2003 and declared a national monument, which is why the site is protected today. It lies about 18 km south of the equator inside Mount Kenya National Park, roughly 199 km northeast of Nairobi.
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