The Mau Mau fighters were militarily defeated.

There was a colossal loss of human lives.

Destruction of property.

It resulted into a state of emergency. The violent nature of the freedom fighters made the Governor- Sir Evelyn Baring, to declare a state of emergency in Kenya starting from 20th October 1952- 1956.

Fortified villages were created by the government as a means of separating civilians from the guerrillas.

It led to the torture of suspects. Although the original aim of detention camps was to reform the detainees and divert their attention from the Mau Mau struggle.

Political parties were banned. Due to its suspected role in organising the Mau Mau insurrection, the KAU and other minor parties were banned in 1953.

It contributed to ethnic tensions in Kenya. The British decampaigned the Mau Mau as a Kikuyu tribal affair that was barbaric and atavistic.

There was a temporary set back in Kenyan nationalism. This was due to the banning of the KAU, imprisonment of patriots, inter-ethnic hostilities and divisions between the loyal conservatives and the young nationalists.

It delayed the early return to independence. Though at first Kenya was ahead of Tanganyika in terms of political, educational, economic and constitutional development, her independence came much later.

Positively , it shattered the British intentions of turning Kenya into a white man's country.

It laid the foundation for self rule. The British came to realise that Kenyans wanted self government.

African political parties were released. As a result of the Mau Mau, the ban which had been put on political parties as lifted in 1955.

It led to land reforms. The British government adopted the Swynnerton Plan by which the Kikuyu and other aggrieved Africans were allocated land and even allowed to grow the cash crops that had originally been restricted.

It led to constitutional progress. In 1957, six Africans were elected to the legislative assembly. They included Oginga Odinga, Ronald Ngala, Tom Mboya and Daniel Arap Moi.

It led to the release of political prisoners. For instance in August 1961 Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was released, elected to the Legislative Assembly and made president of the Kenya African National Union (KANU).

The colour bar policy was dropped. After the war, the British government announced plans of removing all sorts of discrimination based on skin colour.

It accelerated the independence of other countries. For fear of the re-occurrence of such a disastrous revolt, the British hurried to grant independence to Tanganyika in 1961 and Uganda in 1962.

It led to the 1960 and 1962 constitutional conferences in Lancaster House- London. These provided for an elected African majority in the legislative council.

It cost Britain about 50 million pounds to suppress it. This led to economic strain on the British and Kenyan tax payer.

It challenged ex-service men in all countries of Africa to step up and lead the independence struggles e.g In Algeria and Portuguese colonies.