Kimathi family accepts new car, apologises to government

The widow and family of renowned freedom fighter, Dedan Kimathi, has now accepted the replacement of a car they received from former President Mwai Kibaki with a new Subaru Outback by the Jubilee administration.

At the same time, the Kimathi family led by Mukami Kimathi, 86, (widow of Mr Kimathi) has apologised to the government and the country at large for what they termed as an embarrassment caused by one of their family member in the social and print media.

“The Kimathi family is really sorry for the embarrassment it caused to the government and the country at large. However, we never termed the new Subaru Outback as inferior,” said Ms Kimathi who spoke on behalf of the family.

The government had taken away a double cabin car given to the family by the Kibaki regime and replaced it with a navy-blue station wagon Subaru Outback with a GK number plate which was handed to Ms Kimathi at her home in Njabini by the Nyandarua deputy county commissioner, Amos Marimba on Wednesday last week.

REQUESTED NEW CAR

The government also hired a driver for the widow.

Mr Marimba said Ms Mukami had requested President Uhuru Kenyatta to give her a new car since her double cabin truck was experiencing numerous mechanical problems.

This was during a meeting with him at State House last year after attending the Jamhuri Day celebrations at Nyayo Stadium.

Mr Marimba said the truck was experiencing alternator and fuel pump problem and was being taken to Nairobi for repair before it is brought back to her.

However, this did not auger well to Ms Evelyn Wanjogu, one of Kimathi’s daughter who raised a storm and raised issues with the new car bearing government’s number plate while their truck had been registered as a private vehicle.

She argued government number plates would limit their movements as they would be subjected to numerous checks as they will be required to produce work tickets when travelling.

But Mr Marimba said he had well-informed the entire Kimathi’s family about the government’s move to replace the car.

USED CAR TO TAKE LOAN

He said the government had established that Ms Wanjogu had registered the truck under her name and taken a personal loan with it as security and that’s why she didn’t want it taken away.

But Ms Wanjogu in her response said the car had been registered under the family’s Mukami Kimathi Foundation and they had also taken a Sh470, 000 loan using the car as security but it was not her individual loan.

This, led Ms Wanjogu to post accusation on government on social media a thing that Mr Marimba termed as ‘lack of understanding’.

However, on Saturday, Ms Wanjogu in the same page posted an apology both to the government, her family and the country at large.

“I want to state categorically here that the family of Dedan Kimathi is not at war or any tussle with the government of Kenya, as stated earlier in the social and print media. It was a miscommunication between the DCC Amos Mariba and myself. We sincerely apologise to the government and entire republic of Kenya for the Facebook post that went viral. Mrs Mukami Kimathi has thanked the government for the GK Subaru as she wait for the double cab to be repaired,” it read.

Ms Wanjogu said that she considered the outcome of the event to her family and decided to pull it down and apologise.

“I don’t want to fight the government or hurt my family. I have understood the matter well and I too have welcomed the government’s move,” she said.

“We have accepted the apologies from this family, however, it is always good one to understand a matter before opposing it,” Mr Marimba said.