Granny who fought in the Mau Mau war hopes State will honour her for the struggle

As the country celebrates the 2016 Mashujaa Day, an 87 year old grandmother in Nakuru County who says she participated in the fight for Kenya’s freedom has asked the State to recognise her among the country’s heroes.

Mrs Naomi Njoki Kimani says she has been waiting and hoping that the government would recognise her for the role she played.

In an interview with the Nation at her Maili Sita home in Bahati, Mrs Kimani said she took part in the struggle for the country’s freedom and showed a bullet wound on her leg, which she says she suffered during the fight for Kenya's freedom.

“I personally took part in the fight for freedom and despite spending seven years fighting for the fruits the country is enjoying today, I have nothing to show. The government should remember us just the way it honoured Kimathi’s widow,” she said.

NO STIPEND

She said that she has never received any stipend money for the elderly, and according to the local authorities, she does not qualify for the fund.

“I have visited the local offices for registration, including the chief’s office, and I was turned away twice on grounds that I have a permanent house in my compound. The house belongs to my son and I still live in my temporary house,” she said.

Mrs Kimani said that like Dedan Kimathi’s widow, Mukami Kimathi, the State ought to take care of the rest of the freedom fighters since most of them are elderly and sickly.

She said many people, including her fellow freedom fighters, do not know of her whereabouts and most of them think that she died a long time ago.

IN THE ABERDARE FOREST

One of her memorable moments is her encounter with white settlers in Kanderendu forest in the Aberdares who were looking for the Mau Mau freedom fighters.

She recalled how the fighters would lie on their stomachs in order to avoid detection by the colonial fighters who hovered over them using aeroplanes.

She said that, this was one of the deadliest wars during their stay in the forest as, out of the 170 people who were there, only three of them survived.

“The colonialists used machine guns to spray us with bullets while in the forest and only three of us survived the attack,” said Mrs Kimani.

Although aged and only moves around with the help of a walking stick, Mrs Kimani’s voice is still strong as she narrates the story as her grandchildren stare at her.

She said that she is facing challenges especially in raising money for her medical bills in her old age.