Freedom fighters, commonly referred to as the Mau Mau, have revived the debate over compensation by the British government for the torture they endured during the fight for independence.

Members of the Mau Mau Pioneer Cultural Organisation are demanding fresh negotiations on compensation and are seeking government support to push the matter forward.

The association’s national chairman, Kiragu Waihenya, said only a small fraction of freedom fighters were compensated in 2013, when the British government paid out Ksh 3 billion that was shared among 5,000 people.

Those compensated were individuals who could prove direct abuse during the Emergency period, including detention, torture or sexual abuse.

Waihenya argued that the majority of freedom fighters and their affected families were left out because they lacked documentation.

“We want fresh negotiations for compensation because a majority were locked out of the initial plan, which we deem unfair,” he said.

Addressing the media in Murang’a on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, Waihenya said it was only fair for freedom fighters to be compensated for the torture they suffered while fighting for the liberation of the country.

He lamented that most of them are elderly, living in poverty, and may die without receiving any reward for their sacrifice.

“Many freedom fighters have died while waiting for compensation, and their families will now have to pursue the matter,” he added.

“We want to be rewarded with land that we fought to reclaim from the colonialists because some of us still live like squatters,” the chairman said.

Waihenya noted that the organisation has over 20,000 registered members, including freedom fighters and their descendants.

He said the group would continue pushing for compensation until they receive what is rightfully theirs.

However, he emphasised that unity among freedom fighters remains crucial, noting that there are more than 50 Mau Mau groups.

“Our coming together will be our strength and will enable us to pursue this agenda to the end,” he said.

The lack of a legal compensation framework for the Mau Mau remains the biggest hurdle, as the government has remained non-committal despite the issue being raised several times.

Freedom fighters have largely been honoured through the naming of facilities such as stadia and roads or the erection of monuments, but no direct financial support has been provided.

The Kenyan government maintains that the 2013 compensation settled the matter legally and that any further negotiations should be pursued directly with the British government.