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Kikuyu Land review – the colonial-era misery behind our morning cup of tea

The impact of colonial then corporate agricultural development is unravelled in a sobering documentary that takes a dramatic turn when a family secret is discovered The central highlands of Kenya are renowned for their lush tea plantations, which stretch as far as the eye can see. Most of the field workers come from the Kikuyu community, whose farming traditions span centuries. In Andrew Harrison Brown and Bea Wangondu’s sobering documentary, these resplendent vistas are also enshrouded in misery. Opening with a televised speech by Evelyn Baring, the colonial governor of Kenya during the 1950s , the film lays out the imperialist impetus behind Britain’s agricultural development of the country. The Kikuyu people were stripped of their ancestral lands, their labour extracted to enrich their colonisers. This system of inequality continues until now, with multinational corporations taking up

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Image from the linked report: Kikuyu Land review – the colonial-era misery behind our morning cup of tea.Credit: The Guardian Thumbnail shown with attribution and outbound source link; VINI does not claim ownership or republish the original article body. Image source Image shown with attribution and an outbound source link; VINI does not claim ownership or republish the original article body.
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The impact of colonial then corporate agricultural development is unravelled in a sobering documentary that takes a dramatic turn when a family secret is discovered The central highlands of Kenya are renowned for their lush tea plantations, which stretch as far as the eye can see. Most of the field workers come from the Kikuyu community, whose farming traditions span centuries. In Andrew Harrison Brown and Bea Wangondu’s sobering documentary, these resplendent vistas are also enshrouded in misery. Opening with a televised speech by Evelyn Baring, the colonial governor of Kenya during the 1950s , the film lays out the imperialist impetus behind Britain’s agricultural development of the country. The Kikuyu people were stripped of their ancestral lands, their labour extracted to enrich their colonisers. This system of inequality continues until now, with multinational corporations taking up

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According to The Guardian’s source item, Kikuyu Land review – the colonial-era misery behind our morning cup of tea, The impact of colonial then corporate agricultural development is unravelled in a sobering documentary that takes a dramatic turn when a family secret is discovered The central highlands of Kenya are renowned for their lush tea plantations, which stretch as far as the eye can see. Most of the field workers come from the Kikuyu community, whose farming traditions span centuries. In Andrew Harrison Brown and Bea Wangondu’s sobering documentary, these resplendent vistas are also enshrouded in misery. Opening with a televised speech by Evelyn Baring, the colonial governor of Kenya during the 1950s , the film lays out the imperialist impetus behind Britain’s agricultural development of the country. The Kikuyu people were stripped of their ancestral lands, their labour extracted to enrich their colonisers. This system of inequality continues until now, with multinational corporations taking up

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The development sits in VINI’s Culture file for readers following arts, entertainment, fashion, film, music, celebrity, and the business of culture. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-09-28T06:00:26+00:00.

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Primary source: Kikuyu Land review – the colonial-era misery behind our morning cup of tea via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.

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