The state of emergency in Kenya which had lasted from 1952-1959, probably the longest in the history of Kenya, came to an end. The state of emergency was declared by the governor of Kenya, Sir EvelynBaring, due to the Mau Mau rebellion against British colonial rule and incarceration of thousands of Kenyans. This rebellion took place almost exclusively in the highlands of central Kenya among the Kikuyu tribe. Tens of thousands of Kikuyu died in the fighting and in detention camps and restricted villages.
10 November 1959
The longest state of emergency in Kenya ends
- Updated
- 30 Sep 2019

How we know this
- 01Boddy-Evans, A. ‘This Day in African History: 13 November’, [online], available at https://africanhistory.about.com (accessed: 11 October 2013)
- 02Blair, D. (2013) ‘Analysis: Compensation may be right this time - but Mau Mau waged a brutal civil war’, from The Telegraph, 5 June, [online], available at www.telegraph.co.uk (accessed: 11 October 2013)
- 03Republic of Kenya, ‘A Brief History on Kenya’, [online], available at www.kenyarep-jp.com (accessed: 11 October 2013)
- 04Global Edge, ‘Kenya: History’, [online], available at https://globaledge.msu.edu (accessed: 11 October 2013)
Last updated · 30 Sep 2019
South African History Online. (2013, November 7). The longest state of emergency in Kenya ends. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096628
South African History Online (2013) 'The longest state of emergency in Kenya ends', South African History Online, 7 November. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096628 (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
South African History Online, The longest state of emergency in Kenya ends [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096628, (accessed 8 October 2026).
"The longest state of emergency in Kenya ends." South African History Online, 7 Nov. 2013, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096628. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.
South African History Online. "The longest state of emergency in Kenya ends." South African History Online. November 7, 2013. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0096628.
Also on 10 November
- 1939SA Corps of Military Police is reorganised
- 1959Marthinus van Schalkwyk is born
- 1964Kenya becomes a one party state
- 1985Dr. J. S. Moroka dies
- 1988SADF responds to allegations by FAPLA
- 1989Three White members of the African National Congress (ANC) are sentenced to long prison terms
- 1991The SA Cricket team is re-admitted to international cricket
- 1992First international tour in 27 years for South African Proteas
Search events by date
This day in history
What happened on your birthday?
SAHO is free because readers fund it. Donate →