More than a century after World War I and nearly 80 years since World War II, African soldiers who fought and died in colonial wars are finally receiving overdue recognition. Around 4,000 Kenyans, once omitted from war records due to racial bias and deliberate colonial erasure, are among over 11,600 uncommemorated African servicemen now being identified by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).
New access to Kenya’s military archives has enabled CWGC researchers to uncover detailed records of African soldiers, some dating back to 1897. For Patrick Abungu, CWGC’s heritage manager, the mission is personal—he’s searching for his great uncle who vanished after being conscripted in WWI.
While British soldiers were buried with honours, African troops were left where they died, violating Britain’s promise of equal treatment in death. Researchers are now using oral histories, digitised files, and modern tools like drones to trace lost graves in areas such as Taita Taveta, Salaita, and Karungu.
Dr. George Hay estimates at least 88,000 East Africans died in the wars, many as labourers in brutal conditions. Plans are underway to build a new memorial at Nairobi’s Kariokor War Cemetery, to serve as a place of remembrance and education.
CWGC calls on families to reach out if they’ve heard the phrase “alienda na hakurudi” (“he went and never returned”), offering help in tracing lost relatives. With 38 known war cemeteries across Kenya, the nation is reclaiming a neglected legacy—honouring African soldiers not as forgotten footnotes, but as true heroes of history.
