The family of Mau Mau worrier Dedan Kimathi, along with other veteran Mau Mau worriers, have called upon President William Ruto's administration to heed his promise to grant the country's hero a dignified burial.
Two years since the Kenya Kwanza Government promised to exhume the body of the field marshal who was reportedly buried inside Kamiti Maximum Prison for reburial, nothing has been done.
During the 68th anniversary of Kimathi's passing on Tuesday, the family highlighted the importance of honoring his legacy as Kimathi led a group of Mau Mau worriers in their resistance against British Colonial rule.
"Last year, we had a meeting with the former president who ruled Ghana for 18 years and whose son is named after Kimathi, he was looking forward to the day when he will be coming to the burial of Kimathi," a family member noted.
In 2023, following the demise of Kimathi's wife Mukami Kimathi, the government had pledged to exhume his remains.
"The government will partner with you and look for an honorable place where this hero can be buried so that we can accord him the respect that is equal to the bravery he faced when he fought for this nation," President Ruto said during Mukami's burial.
On Tuesday, Mau Mau freedom worriers, their family members, and a section of Nyeri residents came together to plant trees in commemoration of the occasion.
Apart from calling for Kimathi's exhumation, the family also highlighted the need for the government to compensate the families of freedom worriers who fought bravely against the British in the 1950s.
Some of the families lost their land through the process and the elders are calling on the government to help them reclaim the land.
To honor the heroes, the families, and veteran Mau Mau worriers are further asking the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to offer them 50 hectares of land to create a reservation spot for all Mau Mau heroes.
In May 2023, President Ruto also promised to offer Ksh50 million to honor both pre and post-colonial heroes, intimating that his administration would also set up a museum in the region to commemorate freedom worriers.
Ruto had also promised that the current museum in Uhuru Gardens would be refurbished to include the historic contributions of the Mau Mau as a way of preserving the country’s history and culture.
