MAU MAU WAR VETERAN ASSOCIATION

Following the ongoing Mau Mau case against the British government on evils committed by its agents during the colonialism in Kenya, the freedom fighters who won a right to full trial in a test on colonial torture have now appealed to the government to back them up to reinforce their case in seeking compensation.

The Mau Mau chairperson, Mr. Wamutwe Ngau, speaking separately to KNA during the Mashujaa day celebrations in Githunguri stadium said that most of the support they got came from the Mau Mau war veteran association members and majorly from human rights activist. This he said was not enough since without government support their efforts will be fruitless and especially in this recent times when the British government attempted to use legal technicalities to have the case thrown out.

Mr. Ngau also pointed out that their Mau Mau war veteran association Githunguri branch which has more than 4,000 members is yet to receive government funding of ksh. 2,000 for the old people as promised. He also added that the government had promise them free education for the veterans’ children but this is also yet to be fulfilled by the government. However, on the ksh. 2,000 to be given every month the DC Githunguri Mr. Frederick Dunga explained that those being awarded the money were the aged over 65 years old and that they should be very poor and with no one to support them financially.

Addressing the gathering in the same event, Mr. Ngau raised a complaint over the land pertaining to the Mau Mau freedom fighters which he claims’ had been grabbed by a farmer in Githunguri and even has Napier grass planted on it. The alleged land he says is located next to the area district commissioners’ office and through the help of the government now wants to reclaim it to build a monument there to symbolize the life of freedom fighters who had been strangled and hanged on the same piece of land. From his remarks, the DC assured the veterans that they got full support from the government on the same.

When asked what was the reason behind the formation of the Mau Mau war veterans association, Mr. Ngau asserted that its aim was to fight for the rights and recognition of the freedom fighters who he said had been neglected for long by the government. He revealed that unlike former presidents Jomo Kenyatta and retired Daniel Moi who had ignored their cries and labeled them a terrorist group, it was only president Kibaki in 2003 who repealed the section of the law that now gives them full support by assertion as it is now legal.

It should be noted that the venue for the Mashujaa day in Githunguri stadium was on the same spot where many veteran women had been tortured and ordered to dig the land using their fingernails. It is now on this stadium that Kimathi monument has been installed to mark that historic torture.