§ 44. Mr. Edelmanasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Kikuyu are at present detained either as suspects, convicts or captured prisoners in Kenya.
§ Mr. LytteltonSeparate figures for Kikuyu are not available here, but on 24th October, 355 Africans were on remand awaiting trial, 10,497 in prisons throughout the country and 1,403 in detention camps.
§ Mr. EdelmanIs not this very large number approximately half the number of those detained in prison in Great 364 Britain? Has the attention of the right hon. Gentleman been drawn to the statement in the "Kenya Weekly News" that many of those at present detained are deteriorating both morally and mentally, and will he indicate what he proposes to do about it?
§ Mr. LytteltonThe hon. Member knows very well, or should know if he does not, the measures we are taking towards rehabilitating those detained for being members of the Mau Mau. Regarding the first part of the supplementary question, no comparison should be drawn between the number of people in prison in this country and those imprisoned in the course of this civil insurrection.
§ Mr. Anthony GreenwoodDoes the Minister's answer mean that 60,000 Kikuyu have been tried out of a total African population of five million.
§ Mr. LytteltonYes, it does.
§ 47. Mr. Edelmanasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Kikuyu have died in captivity since the beginning of the emergency in Kenya.
§ Mr. LytteltonNinety-seven.
§ Mr. EdelmanIs it not a very high figure, and is the right hon. Gentleman aware that many thousands of Kikuyu are at present being kept in open camps with no shelter during the day, and only receiving shelter at night? Will he do something to improve their conditions?
§ Mr. LytteltonI do not think the figure is at all high. Most of these deaths occurred from malaria and in some cases from tuberculosis.
§ Mr. LytteltonI think that supplementary question is particularly unfortunate in the present circumstances.