Kimathi’s deputy who lost everything fighting for country
Like many other independence heroes, Baimungi emerged from forest to find his wealth grabbed by those left behind
On a quarter-acre land at Katheri village in Mem county, a family of nine children and more than 50 grandchildren live in abject poverty.
Their father is among scores of Kenyan freedom fighters whose stories remain untold, those who trooped into the forests to fight for their country only to lose their land, future and lives.
None symbolises this ironic narrative better than the family of Field Marshal Baimungi M’Marete, the late Dedan Kimathi’s second-in-command.
As Kenyans prepare to celebrate the 56th Madaraka Day this year, the former Mau Mau freedom fighter’s family says there is nothing much to celebrate other than nursing broken promises and a sense of betrayal.
Baimungi was born in 1924 in Mwereru village on the escarpments of Mt Kenya. In his 20s, the lanky youth was drafted by the British to fight for the allies in the Second World War and shipped to Burma, then part of India. There, he trained as a mechanic and acquired skills in assembling guns.
“He returned to the country at the end of the war in 1945 and was employed as a driver for area district officer, who was a white man,’’ says the family spokesperson Wilson Kilerni.
But then, a wave of rebellion against the oppressive British regime was gathering pace; it broke into armed resistance through the Mau Mau and Baimungi could not resist the itching of the patriotic bug.
“Baimungi was still working for the DO when the war broke out, so he started sneaking guns to the freedom fighters in the forest,” he adds.
He was soon found out and forced to go into hiding, hunted down by the colonial administrators as a highly wanted fugitive.
“In the forest, he joined the freedom fighters and used the skills he acquired from WW2 fields to make home guns for fellow fighters."
Kimathi confidence
Baimungi’s influence spread through the ranks until his exploits and leadership skills reached Field Marshall Dedan Kimathi, who was impressed and promoted him to be his deputy in the Mau Mau insurgency.
After die death of Kimathi, Baimungi became the leader of the movement in Mt Kenya Forest until independence in 1963 when First President Jomo Kenyatta ordered all fighters to lay down their arms.
According to Kilerni, Baimungi and his deputy Chui, heeded the call and left die forest in company of their trusted lieutenants Mburiria, Mwangi, Gachienja and Kibaru. They were received by then Lands minister Jackson Angaine and Cabinet colleague Mbiyu Koinange at Kinoru Stadium in Meru Town before they joined a delegation to meet President Kenyatta at his home in Gatundu on December 18, 1963.
“I was a young boy and I accompanied him together with my mother to meet the Head of State and the then-powerful minister Angaine. We were given a heroic welcome and my father was given a Land Rover, KFF 660, and a prime Monroe farm which was occupied by white settlers,” said Wilson.
Two years later, Baimungi and his friends were shot dead, allegedly by government agents. The family alleges assassination plot to take over the land bequeathed to the freedom fighter by the President.
“They claimed Baimungi had ignored Mzee Jomo Kenyatta’s order to move out of the forest, but that was false since he had surrendered his guns two years before,” he said.
“Our father lost everything fighting for this nation and was promised loads of goodies by the then government, including a land in Timau, but which we have been blocked from accessing,” he claimed.
Parliament arrest
The family said even efforts by their late mother Evangeline Muthoni, who died in 2014, to reach the late Kenyatta and the now retired President Daniel Moi proved futile. In May 2005, she was arrested when she tried to gain access into Parliament to air her grievances.
“Our mother was arrested at Parliament Buildings in 2005 as she hopelessly tried to seek intervention by the government,” said Baimungi’s daughter Susan Kagwiria.
Saying they have nobody to turn to as their effort to seek justice are allegedly blocked by some politicians from the region.
They are now appealing to President Uhuru Kenyatta to fulfil the promises his father made.
Showing pictures of President Uhuru when he visited the family when he was the minister for Tourism during the memorial service of Baimungi on January 26, 1999, the family said the Head of State promised the family to have the pledges fulfilled.
“We are calling on President Uhuru to intervene as we celebrate this Madaraka Day and help us get the land and find the remains of our father so that we can give him a send-off appropriate to his sacrifices,” said Baimungi’s third born daughter Monica M’Mangiri.
They also urged the government to investigate the circumstances under which their sister Harriet Kanario, a mother of two, was arrested and is currently serving a one-and-half-year jail term at Meru GK Prison.
THE JOURNEY
Baimungi was drafted by the British to fight for the allies in the Second World War and shipped to Burma, India.
He trained as a mechanic and acquired skills in assembling guns.
Baimungi used the skills he acquired from WW2 fields to make home guns for fellow fighters when he joined Mau Mau and went on to deputise Dedan Kimathi.
He returned to the country at the end of the war in 1945 and was employed as a driver for area District Officer -son.Field Marshall Baimungi M’Marete (left) and his soldiers surrender their arms at Kinoru Stadium, Meru in 1963 witnessed by ministers Jackson Angaine (centre) and Mbiyu Koinange.
Like many other independence heroes, Baimungi emerged from forest to find his wealth grabbed by those left behind
On a quarter-acre land at Katheri village in Mem county, a family of nine children and more than 50 grandchildren live in abject poverty.
Their father is among scores of Kenyan freedom fighters whose stories remain untold, those who trooped into the forests to fight for their country only to lose their land, future and lives.
None symbolises this ironic narrative better than the family of Field Marshal Baimungi M’Marete, the late Dedan Kimathi’s second-in-command.
As Kenyans prepare to celebrate the 56th Madaraka Day this year, the former Mau Mau freedom fighter’s family says there is nothing much to celebrate other than nursing broken promises and a sense of betrayal.
Baimungi was born in 1924 in Mwereru village on the escarpments of Mt Kenya. In his 20s, the lanky youth was drafted by the British to fight for the allies in the Second World War and shipped to Burma, then part of India. There, he trained as a mechanic and acquired skills in assembling guns.
“He returned to the country at the end of the war in 1945 and was employed as a driver for area district officer, who was a white man,’’ says the family spokesperson Wilson Kilerni.
But then, a wave of rebellion against the oppressive British regime was gathering pace; it broke into armed resistance through the Mau Mau and Baimungi could not resist the itching of the patriotic bug.
“Baimungi was still working for the DO when the war broke out, so he started sneaking guns to the freedom fighters in the forest,” he adds.
He was soon found out and forced to go into hiding, hunted down by the colonial administrators as a highly wanted fugitive.
“In the forest, he joined the freedom fighters and used the skills he acquired from WW2 fields to make home guns for fellow fighters."
Kimathi confidence
Baimungi’s influence spread through the ranks until his exploits and leadership skills reached Field Marshall Dedan Kimathi, who was impressed and promoted him to be his deputy in the Mau Mau insurgency.
After die death of Kimathi, Baimungi became the leader of the movement in Mt Kenya Forest until independence in 1963 when First President Jomo Kenyatta ordered all fighters to lay down their arms.
According to Kilerni, Baimungi and his deputy Chui, heeded the call and left die forest in company of their trusted lieutenants Mburiria, Mwangi, Gachienja and Kibaru. They were received by then Lands minister Jackson Angaine and Cabinet colleague Mbiyu Koinange at Kinoru Stadium in Meru Town before they joined a delegation to meet President Kenyatta at his home in Gatundu on December 18, 1963.
“I was a young boy and I accompanied him together with my mother to meet the Head of State and the then-powerful minister Angaine. We were given a heroic welcome and my father was given a Land Rover, KFF 660, and a prime Monroe farm which was occupied by white settlers,” said Wilson.
Two years later, Baimungi and his friends were shot dead, allegedly by government agents. The family alleges assassination plot to take over the land bequeathed to the freedom fighter by the President.
“They claimed Baimungi had ignored Mzee Jomo Kenyatta’s order to move out of the forest, but that was false since he had surrendered his guns two years before,” he said.
“Our father lost everything fighting for this nation and was promised loads of goodies by the then government, including a land in Timau, but which we have been blocked from accessing,” he claimed.
Parliament arrest
The family said even efforts by their late mother Evangeline Muthoni, who died in 2014, to reach the late Kenyatta and the now retired President Daniel Moi proved futile. In May 2005, she was arrested when she tried to gain access into Parliament to air her grievances.
“Our mother was arrested at Parliament Buildings in 2005 as she hopelessly tried to seek intervention by the government,” said Baimungi’s daughter Susan Kagwiria.
Saying they have nobody to turn to as their effort to seek justice are allegedly blocked by some politicians from the region.
They are now appealing to President Uhuru Kenyatta to fulfil the promises his father made.
Showing pictures of President Uhuru when he visited the family when he was the minister for Tourism during the memorial service of Baimungi on January 26, 1999, the family said the Head of State promised the family to have the pledges fulfilled.
“We are calling on President Uhuru to intervene as we celebrate this Madaraka Day and help us get the land and find the remains of our father so that we can give him a send-off appropriate to his sacrifices,” said Baimungi’s third born daughter Monica M’Mangiri.
They also urged the government to investigate the circumstances under which their sister Harriet Kanario, a mother of two, was arrested and is currently serving a one-and-half-year jail term at Meru GK Prison.
THE JOURNEY
Baimungi was drafted by the British to fight for the allies in the Second World War and shipped to Burma, India.
He trained as a mechanic and acquired skills in assembling guns.
Baimungi used the skills he acquired from WW2 fields to make home guns for fellow fighters when he joined Mau Mau and went on to deputise Dedan Kimathi.
He returned to the country at the end of the war in 1945 and was employed as a driver for area District Officer -son.Field Marshall Baimungi M’Marete (left) and his soldiers surrender their arms at Kinoru Stadium, Meru in 1963 witnessed by ministers Jackson Angaine (centre) and Mbiyu Koinange.
