Dedan Kimathi Waciuri (truly, Kimathi wa Waciuri), (31 October 1920 – 18 February 1957) was a
Kenyan rebel leader who fought against the British colonial government in Kenya in the 1950s.
He was convicted and executed in 1957 for murder and terrorism.
The
British colonial government that ruled Kenya considered him a terrorist, as did the many Kenyans who opposed the
Mau Maus.[SUP]
[1][/SUP] The Mau Mau killed at least two thousand Kenyan civilians,[SUP]
[1][/SUP] 32 European settlers, and 200 British and Kenyan soldiers in the eight year uprising.
The British and Kenyan military units killed 20,000 Mau Mau rebels in combat, hanged over 1000 suspected Mau Mau supporters, and interned more than 70,000 Kikuyu civilians.[SUP]
[2][/SUP] Former Mau Mau viewed Kimathi as a
freedom fighter, although many of the Kikuyu viewed him as a terrorist, due to the predations of the Mau-Mau and to the atrocities committed by the Mau Mau upon them.[SUP]
[3][/SUP] A particularly good source of turned agents for the Government forces were those former Mau Mau escaping from summary justice handed out by Kimathi, which was followed by death by strangulation. As Kimathi's own band became fewer in number and the government forces became more adept at limiting his movement, Kimathi became more and more paranoid and would execute members of his own band for almost random reasons, usually suspicion of 'spying'.[SUP]
[4][/SUP] In the end the main force against the remaining Mau Mau led by Kimathi consisted entirely of
former Mau Mau who were now working for the Government. The capture of Kimathi was aided by their knowledge and skills because of the vast areas of rough terrain which hid the Mau Mau and Kimathi
On February 18, 1957, Dedan Kimathi was executed by the colonialists at the notorious Kamiti Maximum Prison, where his remains are still believed to be buried in an unmarked grave.
This has been a very contentious issue among Kenyans, and indeed other prominent African nationalists like President Nelson Mandela, who believe that Kimathi is a legendary figure and should be accorded a state burial with full rights. Such requests have fallen on deaf ears for reasons nobody can/or will ever comprehend. In fact, on President Mandela's last visit to Kenya in 1990, he almost caused a major embarrassment to President Moi's administration when he inquired about the whereabouts of Kimathi's widow.
FREE DEDAN KIMATHI'S SPIRIT