At the height of the Emergency in colonial Kenya, those who refused to partake in the Mau Mau muma (oath) often met gruesome death in the hands of Mau Mau fighters.
In his book, Histories Of The Hanged: Britain’s Dirty War In Kenya, author David Anderson describes various incidences in which police informers, African Christian converts and collaborators of the colonial government met their deaths.
One such Mau Mau victim was Joseph Kibunja.
On an ordinary night, that of 15th September 1952, Mau Mau gathered over 200 villagers, including Kibunja, at a farm in Rumuruti, Laikipia.
There was only one intention: to carry out a mass oathing ceremony.
Those who declined to partake in the oath, such as Kibunja’s wife, were beaten into submission. However, Kibunja refused to take the oath, insisting that he was a man of God who had pledged allegiance to the church.
So as others took their oath inside a hut, Mau Mau leaders gradually tightened the noose of a rope around the neck of a defiant Kibunja. They hoped he would change his mind.
He didn’t.
His brain was slowly starved of oxygen until he died.
Outside, not far from the hut, a shallow grave was dug up under orders by the Mau Mau oath administrators. Kibunja’s remains were interred there.
A few days later, fearing authorities would discover the unmarked grave, Mau Mau members among farm labourers ordered that Kibunja’s remains be exhumed and reburied in nearby woods.
Citing eyewitness accounts, author Anderson describes how friends and neighbours of the deceased, were ordered, as a way to “demonstrate that they were not afraid to kill enemies of a Mau Mau”, to hack Kibunja’s rotting corpse to pieces with pangas.
Bizarrely, the Mau Mau also forced those present to touch the flesh of the deceased and touch their hands to the lips.
Kibunja’s body was retrieved days later after police were led by terrified villagers to this last gravesite.
His killing and that of Mutuaro Onsomu, who was a foreman at a nearby settler’s farm, created a great deal of fear in Rumuruti.
It was only September of 1952. The killings had just begun.
A few weeks later, on 20th October 1952, in the wake of murders of dozens of people by Mau Mau, and the gripping assassination of colonial administrator Senior Chief Warûhiû, the colonial Government declared a State of Emergency in Kenya.
According to (British) official records, 11,503 Mau Mau, 32 whites and 1,189 Africans were killed during the Emergency.
However, author Maina wa Kinyatti is on record as having disputed this count.
“The contention by the British that 11,000 died is grossly erroneous. A conservative estimate is that at least 150,000 Kenyans lost their lives, 250,000 were maimed for life and 400,000 left homeless”, he wrote.
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In the '90s, Kenyans were mesmerized by Bethuel Mbugua,a boy who was in form four at 6 years,in Ol Kalou Sec Sch
He lectured over 300 universities and colleges by the time he was ten years. One of his lectures was in TZ & it was attended by....
.... Former Tanzania presidents, Julius Nyerere and Hassan Mwinyi.
Young Mbugua required studies in the schools for the gifted in USA because no sch in Kenya could accommodate his high IQ. At one time he sneaked past presidential security,to go speak to President Moi who was ...
At kijabe for a development visit. He asked the Moi govt to sponsor his education in USA, in the schools for the gifted but the govt rejected his request. In fact, some Kenyan politicians in the floor of the house criticized young Mbugua calling him a charlatan and an actor ...
HOW TOM MBOYA ASSASSINATION TRIGGERED FEAR OF A CIVIL WAR IN KENYA IN 1969.
***thread***
51 years ago, as the body of Tom Mboya, the assassinated Minister for Economic Planning, lay in a simple plush-lined casket beneath a yellow hibiscus tree in Lavington, an emergency Cabinet meeting was hurriedly convened by President Jomo Kenyatta in Gatundu.
The agenda included funeral arrangements and the security situation as violence spread throughout the country.There were fears that the assassination could exacerbate ethnic divisions, leading to a civil war.Despite the heavy deployment of GSU personnel, ethnic clashes continued.
THE KISUMU MASSACRE OF 25TH OCTOBER 1969. (51 YEARS AGO TODAY)
October 25, 1969, was a day of gloom in Kisumu as a ceremony to open a public hospital turned into a massacre.
Founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta had been on a two-day tour of Western Kenya.
three years after his Vice-President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga instigated a mass exit from then ruling party, Kanu, and formed the Kenya Peoples’ Union (KPU) in 1966.Since Mr Odinga enjoyed massive support in the region, Mr Kenyatta’s tour was full of tension.
For the longest period Saturday 25th October 1969 remained the most darkest day for the people of Kisumu in the then Nyanza province. It marked one of the ugliest "incidents" of political violence in the country.
Did you know due to biting poverty after 9 years in prison Kenyatta's first house was constructed through contributions by Kenyans? Did you know Kenyans bought him his first land after prison?
After he was released from prison,Kenyatta's return to politics was planned by the colonial govt.governor Renison facilated Kenyatta's return to politics on dec 1961 by amending Legco legislations that barred any person imprisoned for more than 2 years to participate in politics.
As Uhuru Kenyatta will be mentioning names of both colonial & post-colonial era heroes & heroines,one name that we are sure he must mention is that of his late father Johnston Kamau or Jomo Kenyatta.He will say his father was a true hero who agigated for the freedom of his people
But he won't remind you that in August of 1952 at Kirigiti stadium in Kiambu his father was among the "leaders" or the "moderates" who had gathered there to condemn the activities of the MauMau fighters. They branded MauMau fighters as "Atoi" (Kikuyu word for terrorists")
In the picture below,from L-R::: James Gichuru,Harry Thuku,chief Mbiu koinange,Eliud Mathu,jomo kenyatta,chief waruhiu wa kungu and chief Josiah njonjo at kirigiti stadium.
Where did they take you?We all know who took you,But because of the donations,the govt has no guts to ask a question.I wonder how they kept you wherever they left you.
Did they take out the bullet from the bones of your leg? Did they dress your wound? & wipe the blood you bled?
Did they remove the handcuffs in your hands?or they added another at your neck?
Did you hear from your loyal close friends that were left?
How they were treated with neglect?
From their own friends that inherited the powers office???