NAIROBI, 17th February 2017, (PSCU) First Lady Margaret Kenyatta today joined scores of Mau Mau veterans and top academicians to celebrate the life of Mrs Mukami Kimathi and recognize her sacrifices in Kenya’s freedom struggle.
The First Lady also unveiled a new book by Mrs Kimathi that puts Kenya’s liberation struggle into a new perspective including the last words of foremost freedom fighter, the late Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi before he was hanged by the colonialists on 18th February 1957.
During today’s celebrations at the Nairobi National Museum, Mrs Kimathi made her last wishes including a passionate plea to the government to locate Kimathi’s grave at Kamiti Prison so that the remains of the freedom hero “can be accorded a decent burial”.
“The government should take the responsibility of looking for his body so that we can give him a decent burial”, pleaded Mrs Kimathi who has been battling ill health for the past few years and which has confined her to a wheel-chair.
Her other wishes in a pre-recorded message to the nation include the integration and cohesion of all ethnic groups and eradication of tribalism as envisaged by the freedom fighters. Mrs Kimathi was among the female combatants who joined their husbands in the forest.
Her new book “Mukami Kimathi—Mau Mau Freedom fighter”, details the role of women in the freedom struggle including such notable heroines like Mama Ngina Kenyatta (mother of the Nation), Mekatilili wa Menza, Syotune wa Kathuke and Moraa wa Ngiti among others.
While paying glowing tribute to Mrs Kimathi over her patriotic sacrifices at the expense of her life and family, the First Lady said her huge sacrifices represents the important role played by women in the liberation struggle but which had gone largely unappreciated.
“The role of women in the liberation struggle is either unknown or unappreciated”, said the First Lady.
She said in most cases, Kenyans are led to think that women did not contribute to the struggle, or contributed very little, or were primarily victims and obstacles to men marching towards freedom.
“Many times, history has failed to accord women their rightful place in its version of events. Women’s contributions in these historical events have been marginalized to the fringes of history, and excluded from curricula in our institutions of learning”, said the First Lady.
The First Lady said many liberation movements across the world may not have succeeded were it not for the critical role played by women.
She said Mrs Kimathi’s life gives Kenyans an insight into the enormous challenges and incredible sacrifices that women in liberation movements endured.
“And they deserve to be honored and recognized for those sacrifices”.
The First Lady said Mrs Kimathi’s life is a stark and irrefutable reminder that women do play a role. That they do take a stand, and that without them, the liberation movements around the world would have been, at best, a shell of what they became and perhaps they may not have succeeded at all.
During the freedom struggle, said the First Lady, the brave Kenyan women engaged in combat, provided hideouts and food to other combatants, gathered intelligence and delivered messages, took care of the wounded and engaged in rebuilding communities destroyed by the colonialists.
“They became warriors and breadwinners-heading up their households”, said the First Lady
Top history scholars at the ceremony included internationally recognized authority on the Mau Mau war, Professor Maina wa Kinyatti and his counterparts from the University of Nairobi, Prof. Vincent Simiyu and Dr. Mary Mwiandi who agreed with the First Lady that the role of women in the freedom struggle had been down played.
The dons said there is need to re-write the history of Kenya and give the Mau Mau war its proper place . They also underlined the need to teach Kenyan history in all learning institutions up to the University.
“History is not a choice. It is a fact and must be taught in all our institutions”, said Dr. Mwiandi who is the chairperson at the University of Nairobi’s History and Archeology Department.
Professor Simiyu said there is need to make History a compulsory subject in allKenyan schools adding that Mau Mau liberation war was not a Kikuyu affair as claimed by some people but a “national movement” with branches in various parts of the country including Kisii, Bungoma, Masaailand and Ukambani.
Family members also paid a glowing tribute to Mrs Kimathi describing her as the epitome of courage and resilience during the struggle for freedom
Other speakers included the Director General, National Museums of Kenya, Dr Mzalendo Kibunjia.
Mrs Kimathi, family and friends will tomorrow head to Karuna-ini village in Nyeri to offer prayers at the very spot where her late husband was shot and captured by the colonialists and their African collaborators.
The prayers at Karuna-ini are an annual event on the day that Kimathi was hanged for his role in the Mau Mau freedom struggle.
