Dedan kimathi's wife reunites with cell mate after 57 years

Tears of joy were shed, prayers recited,
old memories revisited and hugs
exchanged as the widow of the late Mau
Mau fighter Dedan Kimathi reunited with
one of the cells mate after 57 years.
Years after they shared and suffered in
the same cell during the fight for
independence, it was sweet reunion as
the two weak and old women reunited.
Mukami Kimathi and Esther Wanjiru
Njoroge were reunited in an emotional
ceremony witnessed by their children,
grandchildren and great grand children.
At first faces of doubts hit the two but
after an exchange of words and closer
looks doubts were cast aside during the
ceremony in Maraigushu village in
Naivasha.
The reunion was organized by Nairobi
businessman and politician Francis
Mwangi who is also Wanjiru’s grandson.
“My grandmother has always spoken of
her cellmates during detention and this
reunion marks a milestone for the
families,” he said.
Mukami who at one time broke into tears
said that among others in the cell in
Kamiti were Mama Ngina Kenyatta-
president Uhuru’s mother among other
women.
“We really suffered in the cells and I
never thought I would meet one of my
cells mates and I thank God for this great
day,” she said.
She took issue with the ongoing ICC cases
noting that the cases should either be
deferred or brought back to Kenya.
“It’s the same colonialists who were
behind the suffering of Jomo Kenyatta and
we shall not allow them to detain his son
who is also our President,” she said.
On her part, Wanjiru termed the reunion
as God sent narrating how they were
punished by the colonial masters after
she was arrested in Embu in 1956.
Incidentally, Wanjiru who is now 102
years old has her detention number 2200
and a metallic can which they were
served food with.
“We were several of us and we were
detained for supplying food to Mau Mau
fighters in the forest,” she said.
Her daughter Mary Njeri could not fight
back tears as she told how they were
abandoned at a very tender age to suffer
as the mother was detained for three
years.
Standard digital

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