By Baikolia-O-Bamung’o
THERE, in the centre of Nairobi city, stands erected an extremely gruesome and a highly repulsive statue, of a gun wielding ruffian. Dedan Kimathi. The gory glorification of bloodshed of years gone, illustrates the rogue side of slanted and incompetent revisionism of history.
Dedan Kimathi is an imposter. He was nothing but a butcher of the innocents and architect on the massacre of the harmless. Venerating him as a national hero, is nothing but a delusion and a worst form of national psychosis.
Historical revisionism, has led to the so called founding fathers of the nation, such as Kenyatta, finding centre space in the national dialogue. But luckly, consensus has built, that these were nothing but founding villains, with Kenyatta now ably carrying the tag of a leader into death and darkness.
It is this toxic revisionist history that has glorified Mau Mau as front runners to independence, instead of what they actually were, a gang of thieves, savages and cold blooded murderers.
There is something wrong with this country. Seemingly, the easiest way to accumulate fame and ascend to pinnacles of power is engineer some political violence? We have seen some people. Some people we know. But whose names we have forgotten. They were propelled to power by crimes against humanity charges.
Mau Mau, were they fighting for Kenya or for Kikuyu nationalism? Did they even care about Kenya? Countries which did not have militancy agitation, such as Uganda and Tanganyika, gained Independence before Kenya. Hence, Mau Mau were a nuisance, not a aide, to independence efforts.
There is a book. It is by Professor Caroline Elkins book, Britain’s Gulag:The Brutal End of Empire in Kenya. She romanticizes Mau barbarity.
Sadly, facts betray her. Mau Mau, a bunch of cowards, could not face other soldiers. They resulted into a cowardly tactic of raiding and butchering fellow Kikuyu kinsmen, who disapproved their scoundrel savagery.
The only notable thing Mau Mau ever did was raiding Lari station to loot armour. In the end of their savagery, it is only 12 British soldiers had died. But thousands of Kikuyu kinsmen died.
If Dedan Kimathi was alive today, he would certainly be facing crimes against humanity charges, for breaching ALL the Geneva conventions.
Dedan Kimathi was a hero of not shade. His statue at the town center is a symbolism of ignominy and a fallacy of history. It must fall.
Nevertheless, the grandees of Kikuyu nationalism wants continuity of this historical farce as a tool for continued state capture. It is why you will hear them saying. “Tulipigania Uhuru.” “We will not give them power.” As if Kenya an intellectual property. To decide whether to hold solely, or to share.
A true liberation of the country should start by debunking these historical myths. We should stop venerating goons and savages of all kind. Both the living and the dead. Mau Mau were nothing but bunch of savages, crooks, and criminals. The Statute of Kimathi, must fall!
The writer is an historian and an enemy of bogus revisionism of history
Gatuyuriana 