67 years on, Dedan Kimathi’s children tired of unfulfilled promises to exhume father’s remains

With a placard written 'colonialism never really ended', the family lamented how empty promises have been made about taking the remains of late freedom fighter to Njabini, Nyandarua County, for his eternal rest. 

67 years after his death, Kimathi's children say they are still waiting for the Kenya Kwanza government to make good their promise to exhume his remains and accord him a decent burial at his home. 

Kimathi's son Simon Maina said President Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua made the promise during the burial of Kimathi's widow, Mukami, close to a year ago. 

"We are tired of being lied to. This government promised that they would exhume the remains of our dad and accord him a decent burial at his home in Kinangop, Nyandarua County. But up to now, it is all lies," Maina said. 

"I think they want everyone to forget about us and the Mau Mau heroes, but we will not forget. Every year on February 18 we remembered the day our dad was killed. It's now 65 years and no one seems to care," added the son of the freedom fighter. 

His sentiments were echoed by his sister Miriam Nyawira who said they are banking on the current government to fulfil the promise of giving their father a decent send-off. 

Kimathi, one of the heroes who fought for Kenya's independence, was killed by colonialists and his body buried in an unknown location.

However, in 1968, the government of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta revealed that Kimathi's body was buried at the Kamiti Maximum Prison. 

In 2023, the Dedan Kimathi Foundation claimed it had discovered his grave at the Kamiti Maximum Prison, and sought permission to exhume it. 

Since the admission, efforts to have the body exhumed have proved futile. It was the wish of Kimathi's widow, Mukami, for the remains to be exhumed, but she died on May 4, 2023, before her wishes came to pass.