A newly unearthed archive has shed light on thousands of Kenyan soldiers who fought and died for the British Empire during the World Wars, yet were never officially commemorated, recorded, or buried in recognized graves.

The records, uncovered by historians in collaboration with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), reveal the names, units, and service details of East African soldiers who served in the King’s African Rifles and supporting regiments - men whose sacrifices have remained invisible for decades.

“These were men who fought in foreign lands under foreign flags,” said Dr. Muthoni Wanyeki, a historian at the University of Nairobi. “They built roads, carried ammunition, and died without their names written anywhere. This discovery restores their humanity.”

The Hidden Archive

The trove was discovered in the National Archives of Kenya — a collection of colonial-era ledgers, field reports, and correspondence between British officers stationed in East Africa between 1914 and 1947.

Among the documents are lists of burial sites, payment rolls, and handwritten dispatches detailing how African carriers and soldiers died in battle or from disease while stationed in present-day Tanzania, Somalia, and Burma.

Most of these men were part of the Carrier Corps, a vital yet overlooked logistical network that sustained the British war effort across African battlefields. Tens of thousands perished from exhaustion, malnutrition, or tropical illness, often without markers or official recognition.

“They were the backbone of the Allied campaign in Africa,” said CWGC Director Claire Horton. “Without them, the logistics of war would have collapsed. Yet, for more than a century, they were omitted from remembrance.”

Forgotten Sacrifice

Kenya alone sent over 90,000 soldiers and 400,000 carriers to serve Britain in the two World Wars. Many never returned.

Some were buried in unmarked graves across East Africa, while others were cremated without ceremony. Their families received neither medals nor compensation, as most were classified under colonial hierarchies that prioritized European soldiers.

The newly uncovered records reveal letters from British commanders acknowledging these losses but dismissing the need for memorialization — often citing logistical costs or “lack of identification.”

“It’s an uncomfortable truth,” said Dr. David Olusoga, historian and author of The World’s War. “Empire depended on African blood, but rarely valued African lives.”

Restoring the Names

The CWGC says it plans to digitize and cross-reference the names found in the Kenyan archive with its global database, in an effort to formally recognize the soldiers who were left out of history.

The process will involve forensic mapping of potential burial sites, outreach to families, and inclusion of the names on new memorials planned for Nairobi and Mombasa.

For many descendants, this marks the first tangible acknowledgment of their ancestors’ wartime service.

“My grandfather carried ammunition in Tanganyika,” said Mary Njeri, a 68-year-old teacher in Nyeri County. “He told us stories of heat and hunger — and then silence. Now at least someone remembers.”

Imperial Memory and Modern Reckoning

The rediscovery comes amid wider debates about how Britain and other former colonial powers commemorate the contributions of non-European soldiers. In 2021, a landmark CWGC investigation admitted systemic racial bias in how African, Indian, and Caribbean troops were remembered after the wars.

That inquiry found that up to 54,000 African and Asian soldiers who died in World War I were never properly commemorated due to “pervasive racism.”

The Kenyan archive adds detail to that report — and urgency. Historians say it proves the omissions weren’t accidental but bureaucratically reinforced, with deliberate under-documentation of African units to reduce postwar obligations.

“The silence wasn’t forgetfulness,” said Prof. Caroline Elkins, author of Imperial Reckoning. “It was policy.”

A New Chapter of Remembrance

Kenya’s Ministry of Defence and the British High Commission have jointly pledged to fund restoration projects and memorials honoring African troops. The initiative includes plans for a digital remembrance wall and a traveling exhibition showcasing letters, photographs, and artifacts from the archive.

The project will also partner with local schools to teach East African wartime history — a subject long absent from the curriculum.

“History books glorified colonial generals,” said Dr. Wanyeki. “It’s time to tell the story of the men who built the bridges, carried the guns, and never came home.”

The Takeaway

The discovery of Kenya’s forgotten war records is more than a historical correction — it’s an act of moral restoration.

For a century, these soldiers were erased from the empire they served. Now, their names will finally be spoken, their stories preserved, and their humanity restored.

As new memorials rise in Kenya’s hills and cities, they stand not just for remembrance — but for justice long delayed.