Glimmer of hope in 67-year search for Dedan Kimathi's remains
The late Freedom Fighter Dedan Kimathi. A consortium of experts from Kenya and across the globe have started the process of tracing Kimathi’s remains, 67 years after his death.
President William Ruto is to officially launch the search of Kimathi’s remains.
A consortium of experts from Kenya and across the globe have started the process of tracing Kimathi’s remains, 67 years after his death.
As Kimathi was being buried in an unmarked grave, the British settlers took to the streets to celebrate the death of a “terrorist” and the peace that was to follow.
A ray of hope has engulfed the family of the late Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi after a consortium of experts from Kenya and across the globe starts the process of tracing his remains, 67 years after his death.
Currently, the family is only cherishing a life-size statue that was erected in the honour of Kenya’s fierce freedom fighter at his home area at Karuna-ini Village, Tetu Sub-County, Nyeri County.
On this day (Sunday) in 1957, while aged 36, the lifeless body of Kimathi, the bold and fearless leader of the Mau Mau war, was wheeled out of the hangman’s chamber with a noose around his neck.
As he was being buried in an unmarked grave, the British government and settlers took to the streets to celebrate the death of a “terrorist” and the peace that was to follow.
To them, his death meant the end of the war which was meant to agitate for Kenya’s independence.
On February 29 this year, President William Ruto is expected to officially launch the search of Kimathi’s remains, after which the experts will start the process.
Ms Evelyn Wanjugu, the daughter of the former Field Marshal, has revealed that the official launch will be held at the Nairobi National Museum with experts from many parts of the world participating.
“I am happy to report that, for the first time, the government of Kenya has allowed the official launch of the search for the remains of Dedan Kimathi. Although I am not the one who will preside over the official search of the remains of Dedan Kimathi, I am speaking as a representative of his family,” Ms Wanjugu said.
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Ms Wanjugu said that a team from the Kenyan Society of Geophysical Professionals (KSGP) and other international experts will attend the launch.
“We have noted with great concern that as we are told to continue waiting for this search, the people who participated in burying him are dying one by one. There are only a few people remaining who can help the experts in the process of recovering his remains,” Ms Wanjugu said.
“I am telling the Kenyan people, the Kenyan government and the international community at large that it is now or never. We should not wait any more. If we wait a bit longer, we will end up not getting Kimathi. If we will not get his remains at Kamiti Maximum Prisons, then we should be told where they took him to. We should sue whoever executed and buried him,” she added.
Ms Wanjugu, who is also the chief executive director of Dedan Kimathi Foundation, spoke to the media at Karuna-ini Village in Tetu where she presided over the 67th commemoration of the late Field Marshal.
This is the place where a life-size statue was erected by the Nyeri county government.
The county government marked the site by putting up a monument whose height is six feet and one inch with a 3D face view, clothed in military attire and boots, and whose hair is twisted in dreadlocks crown, holding a rifle in the right hand, a dagger in his left, and a gun on the hip.
Coloured in green and yellow paint, the monument has three sets of staircases that are meant to access the top of the structure.
It is situated at the ditch where he was shot in the thigh by two home guards and then captured.
The 12 feet wide ditch had been sunk to deter contact between the Mau Mau fighters and villagers. He was on his way back when he was spotted.
“From now henceforth, the annual commemoration event will be held in all counties that has Mau Mau veterans. This will help in creating more awareness of the gallant soldier who sacrificed his life so that the country could gain its freedom from colonialism,” Ms Wanjugu said.
Before joining forces with the Mau Mau, he had worked as a teacher at Karuna-ini Primary School, currently Kimathi Secondary School.
Previously, he worked as a milk clerk and a farm manager at Morgan’s farm in Wanjohi, Nyandarua County.
Last year’s commemoration was held at the historic Ruring’u stadium in Nyeri town and attended by thousands of Kenyans.
The stadium occupies a space in the country’s history as it was the place where the freedom fighters assembled from the forest on July 6, 1952 and declared war against the colonialists.
The same venue also saw Mau Mau freedom fighters paraded again and surrendered their arms, signaling the end of the uprising against British rule in the country.
During that event, Ms Wanjugu said the consecutive governments since independence had failed to heed to their pleas to have the body traced and accorded to them.
“We have been urging the consecutive governments to help in finding the remains of our father but to no avail. As the Kimathi family, we have high hopes that this fifth government of Kenya will act. We need the remains of Kimathi to be retrieved from Kamiti Maximum Prison so that we can give him a befitting burial,” Ms Wanjugu told the media then.
