By Mwenda Kiriungi
A curse might befall Kenya should Mau Mau freedom fighters and their descendants be left to languish in poverty, the Njuri Ncheke Council of elders has warned.
The Council secretary in charge of operations Josphat Murangiri said the government should consider rewarding children of Mau Mau freedom fighters who have been neglected.
He lamented that today surviving Mau Mau freedom fighters who sacrificed so that Kenya can be free languish in poverty together with their children.
“They fought for freedom yet they have nothing. The land they fought for was not given to them,” he said.
Murangiri said for the country to avoid a curse from the freedom fighters, they should be compensated.
“Let’s look for a way we can reward them for the suffering they endured even if it seeking compensation from the UK government,” he said at Nkunene primary school, Tigania West, adding that building monuments and naming streets and roads after freedom fighters is not enough.
He said Mau Mau freedom fighters especially from Meru and Tharaka Nithi are not recognised by the state.
“It is not only Kikuyu’s who fought during the Mau Mau uprising. We also had Embus,Kambas and Meru,” Murangiri said.
Meru boasts of several freedom fighters including General Mwariama,General Baimungi,General Chui and General Korino among others.
On splitting of Meru into two counties, Murangiri said it was not the right time.
He said the process can start but it should not be the cause of division among residents.
“The process requires collection of at least one million signatures and be suppoted by at least 24 counties to have a referendum,” he said.
