§ 26. Mr. LINFIELDasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that a letter was despatched to Sir Charles Bowring, Acting Administrator of Kenya Colony, and dated 29th May, signed by the president of the Kikuyu Association and others, asking for permission for two Kikuyu delegates to proceed to England in order to state the native side of the Kenya question; and whether, seeing that this request was made by three well known chiefs and was entirely voluntary, he will say why this permission was not granted?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREIt is clearly desirable that a decision on the Kenya question should not be delayed unnecessarily by the despatch of fresh delegations, and in this case the Acting Governor has reported that the request of the Kikuyu elders for permission to send a deputation was withdrawn at a meeting at which two of the leading elders were present.
§ Mr. LINFIELDWould any difficulty have ensued, seeing that this letter was dated 29th May?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREIt was hoped that the Kenya discussions would have been over some time before now, but they are rapidly approaching a conclusion.