Dedan Kimathi Waciuri, born as Kimathi wa Waciuri, was a prominent figure in the Mau Mau Uprising in British Kenya.
His legacy has been both celebrated and controversial, as he is widely viewed by Kenyan nationalists as a hero and revolutionary leader, but was seen as a terrorist by the British colonial regime.
Dedan Kimathi was born in 1920 in Kenya, which was then under British colonial rule. He was an influential figure in the Mau Mau Uprising, which was a militant movement that opposed British colonial rule in Kenya during the 1950s.
He became the senior military and spiritual leader of the Mau Mau, and is credited with leading efforts to create formal military structures within the movement.
In 1953, Dedan Kimathi convened a war council with Musa Mwariama and Muthoni Kirima, who were two other Field Marshals in the Mau Mau.
Together, they strategized and planned military operations against the British colonial regime. Kimathi’s leadership was instrumental in Mau Mau’s efforts to gain independence from Britain.
Kimathi’s capture and subsequent execution in 1957 marked the end of the Mau Mau Uprising, but his legacy lived on.
Although viewed with disdain by the first two presidents of independent Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi, Kimathi and his fellow Mau Mau rebels were officially recognized as heroes in the struggle for Kenyan independence under the Mwai Kibaki administration. This culminated in the unveiling of a Kimathi statue in 2007.
In 2010, a new Constitution was passed in Kenya, calling for the recognition of national heroes.
Kimathi’s legacy was officially recognized as a significant part of Kenyan history, cementing his status as a prominent figure in the country’s fight for independence.
Today, he is celebrated as a symbol of resistance against colonialism and a heroic figurehead in the Kenyan freedom struggle.
Early life of Dedan Kimathi
Dedan Kimathi was a complex individual from an early age, known for his rebellious nature and a penchant for challenging authority.
Born in Thegenge Village, Tetu division, Nyeri District, he was raised by his mother Waibuthi after his father passed away a month before his birth.
Despite this, he showed remarkable promise as a student, particularly in English, which he mastered during his time at the local primary school, Karuna-ini.
Later, he continued his education at the Tumutumu CMS School, where he honed his skills as a writer, poet, and debater.
However, Kimathi’s turbulent personality frequently brought him into conflict with authority figures, including his teachers.
He had a distaste for discipline and any efforts to control him, often leading to his expulsion from various educational institutions. In one instance, he infamously stole the school bell from Tumutumu and rang it loudly from the top of a nearby hill.
Despite his misbehavior, the missionaries who ran the school were lenient, and his name remains preserved in the school register.
Kimathi’s disdain for authority extended beyond the classroom. In 1940, he enlisted in the British Army but was discharged only a month later, allegedly for drunkenness and persistent violence against fellow recruits.
He then moved from job to job, working as a swineherd and later as a primary school teacher. However, he was dismissed from the latter position after accusations of violence against his pupils.
His close associates, however, maintained that he was dismissed for speaking out against the school administration.
Dedan Kimathi rebellious spirit and his drive to fight against colonial oppression eventually led him to become the senior military and spiritual leader of the Mau Mau Uprising, a key figure in Kenya’s struggle for independence.
Despite his troubled past, he went on to become a national hero and an icon of the Kenyan freedom movement.
Dedan Kimathi involvement in Mau Mau movement
During the late 1940s, Kimathi’s path crossed with members of the Kenya African Union (KAU) while he was working in Ol Kalou.
By 1950, he had been appointed as the secretary to the Ol Kalou KAU branch, which was led by militant supporters of the Mau Mau movement.
The Mau Mau was originally established as the Land and Freedom Army (KLFA), a militant organization consisting of Kikuyu, Embu and Meru tribes that sought to reclaim the land taken away by British settlers. As the Mau Mau’s influence and membership grew, it became a significant threat to the colonial government.
In 1951, Kimathi took the oath of the Mau Mau and joined the Forty Group, the militant wing of the disbanded Kikuyu Central Association.
As branch secretary, Kimathi presided over the oath-taking process. By taking the oath, he believed in compelling fellow Kikuyu to pledge solidarity to the independence movement.
He was known to administer beatings and carry a double-barreled shotgun to enforce the oath. His involvement with the group drew the attention of the colonial government, and he was briefly arrested the same year. However, he managed to escape with the help of local police.
This incident marked the beginning of Kimathi’s involvement in the Mau Mau uprising, and he formed the Kenya Defence Council in 1953 to coordinate all forest fighters.
Dedan Kimathi was a key figure in the development of formal military structures within the Mau Mau and played an instrumental role in convening a war council in 1953.
As a result of his actions, the colonial government intensified its efforts to capture him, leading to his eventual capture in 1956 and subsequent execution in 1957.
Despite being viewed as a terrorist by the British government, Kimathi is regarded as a hero by Kenyan nationalists who see him as a revolutionary leader and a symbol of the struggle for Kenyan independence.
In recognition of his contributions to the country’s freedom, he and his fellow Mau Mau rebels were officially recognized as heroes under the Mwai Kibaki administration.
A statue of Kimathi was unveiled in 2007, and the passage of a new Constitution in 2010 called for the recognition of national heroes.
Capture and execution of Dedan Kimathi
Dedan Kimathi’s quest for an independent Kenya came to a halt in 1956 when Ian Henderson, a British colonial police officer, succeeded in apprehending him at his hide-out in the forest.
During the operation, Kimathi was shot in the leg and taken into custody by a Tribal Policeman called Ndirangu Mau, who found him carrying a panga, a bladed African tool similar to a machete.
His capture signalled the beginning of the end of the forest war, and the British distributed over 120,000 leaflets containing the image of Kimathi being carried away on a stretcher in a bid to demoralize the Mau Mau and their supporters.
Kimathi was charged with possession of a 38 Webley Scott revolver and sentenced to death by an all-black jury of Kenyans, presided over by Chief Justice O’Connor, while lying in a hospital bed at the General Hospital Nyeri. Although he appealed the ruling, it was dismissed, and the death sentence upheld.
The day before his execution, Kimathi wrote a letter to Father Marino, requesting him to provide his son with an education.
He also expressed his desire for his wife, Mukami, to be released from Kamiti Prison and to be close to the mission, where she could be comforted by the nuns and attend church services.
On the morning of his execution, Mukami was allowed to see him, and the two spent close to two hours chatting. Kimathi expressed that he had no regret and was prepared to sacrifice his life for the independence of Kenya.
On 18 February 1957, Dedan Kimathi was hanged at the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, and his burial site was unknown for over 60 years until the Dedan Kimathi Foundation reported on 25 October 2019 that it had been identified on the Kamiti Prison grounds.
Kimathi’s grave was unmarked, and his burial site was discovered after a lengthy search and DNA testing on his family members’ remains. Dedan Kimathi remains a national hero in Kenya, and his contributions to Kenya’s struggle for independence continue to inspire generations.
Legacy
Dedan Kimathi was married to Mukami Kimathi, and together they had a large family consisting of several sons and daughters.
Among their sons were Wachiuri and Maina, and their daughters included Nyambura, Waceke, Wangeci, Nyakinyua, Nyawira, Muthoni, Wangui, and Wanjugu.
Despite his significant contributions to the country, Kimathi was unfortunately captured and executed by colonial authorities in 1957, leaving his family with a deep sense of loss and grief.
However, his wife Mukami remained committed to honoring his legacy and ensuring that his memory was not forgotten.
In 2009, the Kenyan government recognized Mukami’s sacrifices and contributions by constructing a three-bedroomed house for her at her farm in Kinangop, Nyandarua County.
This was a significant gesture of support and gratitude, as it provided her with a comfortable home and symbolized recognition for the sacrifices made by her and her late husband.
Kimathi’s significant contributions and sacrifices for Kenya did not go unnoticed beyond the country’s borders. Anti-apartheid leader, Nelson Mandela, held Kimathi in high regard and viewed him as an inspiration for his own struggle against injustice.
In July 1990, five months after his release from 27 years of imprisonment by South Africa’s apartheid regime, Mandela visited Nairobi and expressed a desire to pay his respects at Kimathi’s grave and meet with his widow, Mukami.
However, the Moi administration, which had largely ignored Kimathi and his legacy, was embarrassed by Mandela’s request. Despite efforts to locate Mukami in the village where she and her family lived, they were unable to do so, leaving Mandela’s request unfulfilled.
Nevertheless, during a public address at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi before he left the country, Mandela spoke openly about his admiration for Kimathi, Musa Mwariama, Waruhiu Itote, and other Mau Mau leaders.
He acknowledged their bravery and sacrifices and how their fight for justice inspired his own struggle.
Mandela’s respect for Kimathi was not a recent development. In his book, My Moment with a Legend, Ronnie Kasrils, the former intelligence chief of the ANC’s armed wing Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) and defense minister in Mandela’s government, alluded to the fact that Mandela had great respect for Kimathi as early as the 1960s.
It was only 15 years after his unsuccessful attempt to visit Kimathi’s grave and meet with Mukami that Mandela finally had the opportunity to meet with her and two of Kimathi’s children during his second visit to Kenya in 2005.
The meeting was a significant moment for both Mandela and the Kimathi family, as it served as a powerful reminder of the importance of honoring those who fought for justice and freedom in Kenya and beyond.
