Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has paid tribute to Mau Mau freedom fighter General Kiambati wa Njora, who has died, describing him as one of the gallant fighters whose sacrifice secured Kenya’s independence.
In a statement on Friday, Mr Gachagua said he received news of General Kiambati’s death with “great pain and sad memories” of the country’s struggle against British colonial rule.
“I have learnt of the demise of General Kiambati wa Njora with great pain and sad memories of our struggle for freedom as a nation,” he said.
Mr Gachagua noted that General Kiambati hailed from Nyandarua County, a region he described as the home of some of the most indefatigable Mau Mau fighters who took up arms during the violent liberation struggle.
“Nyandarua is the home of the indefatigable fighters during the Mau Mau violent struggle to end British colonial rule and reclaim land in Kenya,” he said.
He said General Kiambati would be remembered alongside other renowned Mau Mau leaders and fighters who resisted colonial rule under extremely harsh conditions.
“We shall remember General Kiambati alongside thousands of Africans who died, generals and fighters like Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi, Mukami Kimathi, General China Waruhiu, General Mwariama, General Mathenge, General Mbaria, General Kubu Kubu, General Tanganyika, General Baimungi, among others,” Mr Gachagua said.
He added that the fighters confronted heavily armed colonial forces with little more than determination and courage. “They fought with bare hands as bombs, bullets and other modern warfare weapons rained on them. They liberated our country. We got freedom,” he said.
The former deputy president also recalled the painful chapter of the Lari Massacre, blaming colonial collaborators for aiding British forces during the uprising.
“As the general rests, we shall never forget the Lari Massacre and the role played by homeguards and traitors who aided the British insurgency on the Mau Mau,” he said, adding that some betrayed fellow Africans “for a penny, a piece of cloth and praise.”
Mr Gachagua warned against what he termed a modern form of oppression, urging Kenyans to safeguard the freedoms won through blood and sacrifice.
“May the tree of freedom they fought for never dry, even in the modern-day change of colonial hands from white to black strongmen,” he said.
He conveyed his condolences to General Kiambati’s family and the people of Nyandarua County, saying the country owed a lasting debt to the freedom fighters.
“May Almighty God have mercy on General Kiambati and other generals for the sacrifice they made for Kenya against all odds, and rest their souls in eternal peace,” Mr Gachagua said. “Go well, General Kiambati.”
