The Munitions Makers

For 50 years--ever since their abortive uprising against the British failed in 1905 -- the 1,000-odd Nandi tribesmen of the Laikipia forest have been among the best behaved and most loyal natives in Kenya. As members of Britain's native army and the Kenya police, Nandi trackers and jungle fighters played a big part in suppressing the Mau Mau terrorists of the rival Kikuyu tribe, and the government even went so far as to urge those who stayed in the bush to arm themselves in a sort of informal native civil-defense corps. Happy as kids let out of school to fight a grass fire, the Nandi promptly got busy making war arrows.

To a wizened and cross-eyed tribal witch doctor named Parserion arap Manyei, this official encouragement seemed a fine opportunity to settle some old scores. Twice exiled for anti-British activity, Manyei had hated the whites ever since his father was killed in the uprising at the turn of the century. Watching his fellow tribesmen turn out new arrows in the Mau Mau emergency, he envisioned a new and bloodier revolt with himself as the chief merchant of death, arid urged his tribal brothers on with their work.

The Mau Mau rebellion was now at an end, but a British district officer, passing through Nandi territory recently, noted that the tribesmen were still making arrows. The witch doctor was arrested. As he was hauled to jail, mooning all the while over a withered setiot blossom (the symbol of virility among the Nandi), the remaining Nandi meekly and with some relief surrendered their stock of nearly 15,000 newly made bows and arrows. "We had to do as the witch doctor said," one explained apologetically, "otherwise he would have bewitched our children."

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