Former prison warder renews allegations in Dedan Kimathi tomb site
The death of freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi’s widow Mukami Kimathi has re-ignited debate over where his remains were interred even as a former prison warder maintains that he has the answer to this puzzle.
Kimathi was executed by the British on the early morning of February 18,1957 at Kamiti Maximum Prison but a former prison warder has maintained that he knows where the fighter was buried.
Until her death at 96 on Thursday night, Kimathi and her family have been demanding that the search for her husband’s body be renewed for him to be accorded a decent burial.
But Samuel Toroitich, 87 (pictured), from Tuloi village in Kaptum location of Baringo North sub-county who worked as a prison warder at Kamiti between 1952 and 1957 yesterday maintained that he witnessed the execution.
“I remember that morning vividly as I was on duty at the watch tower of the prison. After being killed the Prison Commissioner ordered 16 of my colleagues to dig a grave; about 40 metres from the main gate,” claimed Toroitich.
He retired in 1974 after serving in various prisons countrywide. He has since moved to Kongasis area in Nakuru County where he bought a piece of land after retirement.
The father of 15 claimed that he can trace where the body was buried and requested for authorities to allow him visit his former work station to identify the place. He claims that the former freedom fighter was buried with handcuffs.
“I can trace where the unmarked grave is even if buildings have been erected over it. I regret for not giving out the vital information early as I feared for my life. This has been haunting me and time has come for me to remove this burden off my shoulders,” Toroitich told People Daily in an interview.
He said that most of his colleagues who witnessed the execution of the former freedom fighter have passed on.
Though most of his vital documents were buried following the post-election violence that rocked Nakuru county and its environs in 2007/2008, Toroitich still possesses the Kenya Prisons Staff Cooperative Savings and Credit Society Limited Membership card as the only proof that he served in the prisons department.