Gakuu Mathenge

The 2021 edition of Mashujaa Day takes place in Kirinyaga county, the home of famed Mau Mau hero, the late General Kassam Njogu, who died in 2011.

Mt Kenya is not only the native home of the Mau Mau freedom movement, it is also the base of many freedom struggle monuments of both enduring pride and ignominy.

For instance, the Mwea Rice Irrigation scheme itself, whose production is set to triple under government expansion once construction of Sh19 billion Thiba Dam is complete, is part of colonial monuments of slave labour used to punish Mau Mau detainees. 

Detainees from Mwea detention camps were used to drain the ancient swamps for rice paddies.

Other monuments who share this ignominious roots include the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) which was dug by Mau Mau detainees from Industrial area and Lang’ata prisons using bare hands.

Detainee labour

 Although the British civil engineering firm, Gibbs Africa, had tendered and won the contract to build the old Embakasi Airport (1954-157), it was somehow figured out that using free Mau Mau detainee labour was a cheaper way to accomplish the job.

Other projects on this list include, the Yatta inter-basin irrigation water canals.

Many people died of disease, exhaustion, injuries and while other suffered life-threatening deformations and mental torture.

Although egalitarian tendencies have crept into heroes memorial events to include celebrity athletes and sportspeople who play for pay, Mashujaa Day is rooted in commemoration of Kenya’s many generations of freedom struggle heroes, majority of whom did it for love of country, not personal emolument. 

Another important milestone is that today’s will be the last Mashujaa fete Uhuru Kenyatta will preside over as the fourth President of the Republic.

President  Uhuru’s family, and their famous surname inherited from his father are national slogans and part of Kenya common heritage by dint of their involvement in critical milestones of contemporary Kenya.

In the Kenyan material, cultural and customary folklore, a unique burden of expectations weighs down on their collective shoulders, whether family members are in or out of public office.

 The Mashujaa Day celebrates milestones and achievements made, but also brings back memories and reflection of what Freedom struggle heroes had expected from independent Kenya governments but which still remain a mirage of unmet expectations. Among these include national heroes monuments in their honour.

There is mystery over the remains of Mau Mau legend, Fi

eld Marshall Dedan Kimathi, who was executed on February 18, 1957. Neither has there been much to write home about on establishing the true record of who genuine Mau Mau fighters were, their names and families, even as remaining sources continue to die or memories fail with advanced age. 

There has always been a lingering sense of angst that Kenya is replete with Commonwealth War Graves, but none for Kenyan freedom fighters. One of the most enduring monuments of the struggle to defend and restore the dignity of the black race in colonial Kenya was Githunguri Teachers Training College, established by the natives to train teachers for African schools. 

That the college is yet to granted national monument status as a testament in honor of inspiring vision of its founders in refusing to give up, give in or bow to impossible circumstances of their time is a statement of colossal negligence. 

National heroes

The negligence of national heroes and what they represented may also explain many unmet expectations in real life, bread and butter concerns, successive governments have pledged to their people but yet to deliver upon.

In the Mountain region for instance, both President Uhuru and his predecessor, retired President Kibaki were elected on the pledge and promise to turn around the fortunes of the coffee farmer by investing in new policies and investments in improved and expanded production.

Unless something drastic happens between now and August 2022, the coffee farmer might be left the same place and in the same circumstance by Kibaki found him and her in 2003.