F.M. Dedan Kimathi’s 104th Posthumous Birthday Celebrated in Nyeri

It is without doubt that our forefathers put their lives on the line to reclaim our freedom and African land from brutal colonizers. With a strong urge for justice in a nation taken hostage by the British who had a strong disregard for the Kenya natives, Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi Wachiuri, born on 31st October 1920, found himself in the freedom struggle frontline as the leader of the Mau Mau Movement in the 1950s.

History highlights his efficient war strategies that helped him and his comrades to dodge the generously flying bullets with their inferior machetes and other simple weapons. His late wife Mukami Kimathi, in her freedom struggle, experienced narrations; she often said, ‘Mbaara ndírí mwago‘ translated to ‘There is no fun in War.’ In full understanding of that, the fighters, whose thirst for justice could only be quenched by reclaiming their land and freeing themselves from the treacherous British colonialism, applied high survival tactics and secrecy, including oaths to harden being exposed to the British and the home guards.

Forests were their hideouts and wild animals were their friends. It was on one of the days that Dedan Kimathi got out of the forest to look for food that he was spotted and shot by a fellow African for a reward by the British. He was captured, tried, and sentenced to death by hanging. February 18th 1957 was the black day that the hero saw his last light.

In recognition of the sacrifices he made towards the liberation of the republic, Dedan Kimathi Foundation led Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Kamwenja Teachers College, the East African University based in Kajiado and Kahiga-ini community in marking his 104th posthumous birthday by growing trees at in his honor. Preceded by an exotic tree planting session at Kamwenja Teachers College, the event was held at Kahiga-ini memorial park in Tetu, Nyeri County. It is the spot the hero was shot and captured in 1956. Ten ceremonial trees were planted by the participating groups as the best gift to the hero on his birthday.

Borrowing from his famous quote, ‘It is better to die on our feet than live on our knees,’ the speakers of the day urged the audience to emulate the hero whose thirst for justice saw him pay the ultimate price for freedom.

Acknowledging the role forests played during the freedom struggle period, DKF Environment Conservation team leader Dickson Maina urged the participants to support the government in growing the targeted 15 billion trees by 2032—a suitable move towards lowering carbon footprints and reversing climate change.

East African University and Kamwenja Teachers College lauded the foundation for its relentless commitment to continue building on the legacy of Dedan Kimathi by helping to grow trees in public sites. The two institutions called for continued strengthened partnership to forest their spaces and their neighbourhoods.

Crowning the speeches of the day, Mr. Muthui Wangome, Dedan Kimathi’s brother in law quoted the president’s promise to find the remains of Dedan Kimathi during Shujaa Mukami Kimathi’s burial and accord him a burial befitting him and urged him to honor that promise. ‘This will not only help the family find closure but also enable Kimathi’s comrades have peace through fulfilment of his late wife’s dying wish,” he emphasized.