Calls to support Mau Mau war veterans dominated the burial ceremony of General Kiambati in Chamuka Village, Ngorika, Kanjuiri Ward, Nyandarua County, as leaders urged the government and other stakeholders to prioritize the welfare of freedom fighters who played a pivotal role in Kenya’s liberation struggle.
Led by Nyandarua Governor Dr. Kiarie Badilisha and former Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia, the leaders expressed concern that many surviving veterans continue to live in hardship decades after independence.
Governor Badilisha noted that it is regrettable that the men and women who sacrificed their youth, families, and livelihoods in the fight for freedom have endured years of neglect.
He said his administration is prioritizing their welfare through improved access to quality healthcare and official recognition aimed at restoring dignity to the aging heroes. He also called on the National Government to ensure that war veterans are settled on their own pieces of land.
Former Governor Kimemia echoed these sentiments, stating that history would judge harshly a nation that fails to honour its liberators. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive national framework to document, compensate, and support the remaining veterans and their families.
He added that it is painful to witness many veterans dying with bullets still lodged in their bodies, carrying physical and emotional scars to their graves after fighting tirelessly to free the country from colonial rule.
Speaking during the ceremony, General Kiambati’s son, Wilson Kiambati, described his father as a steadfast symbol of freedom in the country. “Let us not take for granted the freedom we are enjoying today. It cost all the freedom fighters,not only those from the Mt. Kenya region, but from across the entire country,” he said.
Leaders also paid tribute to other departed freedom fighters, including:
- Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi – Supreme leader and overall commander.
- Field Marshal Musa Mwariama – Highest-ranking commander in the Meru region.
- General Stanley Mathenge – Key leader in the Nyeri division.
- General Waruhiu Itote (General China) – Commander of the Mount Kenya division.
- General Tanganyika (Muriuki Kamotho) – Deputy to General China and leader of the Hika Hika Battalion.
- General Baimungi Marete – A top commander in the Meru/Mt. Kenya region.
- General Kago wa Manda – Renowned for his guerrilla tactics in the Aberdares.
- General Kubu Kubu (Njagi wa Ikutha) – Leading figure in the Embu forces.
- General Kariba (Hituchi Kabutu) – Prominent battalion leader and oath administrator.
- General Kiambati wa Njora – Gallant front-line fighter and hero of the independence struggle.
- General Mbaria Kaniu – A significant field commander in the Aberdare Ranges.
- Field Marshal Muthoni Kirima – The highest-ranking woman in the movement’s military hierarchy, recognized for her immense contribution to Kenya’s independence.
Others remembered included Brigadier Kiboko, Major Gachefu, and Major Kassam, among many others who died without adequate recognition.
Leaders present challenged both the national and county governments to fast-track policies that would cushion veterans against poverty and illness, noting that many are advanced in age and battling various health complications.
Speakers described General Kiambati as a fearless patriot whose contribution to the independence struggle should inspire younger generations to safeguard and cherish the freedoms won through immense sacrifice.
