Dedan Kimathi’s Heroism Felt Across the Globe

Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi’s history is not only highlighted in our historical literatures researched and taught at our institutions of learning but it is a landmark that our history cannot stand on its feet without it. As professor Sam Kahiga states in his popular novel (Dedan Kimathi’s True Story) that won commonwealth prize for literature in 1989 he well narrates that Dedan Kimathi sacrificed his life, blood, soul and his entire heart for the cause of liberation of this country from the craws of imperialism.

The colonial state had not only spotted Kimathi’s passion for his mother country but had a vision of making Kenya self-governing state. Freedom fighters across the world and subsequently here in our continent Africa deserve recognition for had it not been their efforts, bravery, love for their countries’ freedom could never have been realized.

In many countries across Africa, Kenya being an example freedom fighters and other National achievers are mainly remembered by putting up projects with their names reflected on them eg. Universities, Roads, streets and at times buildings. To this effect we appeal not only to the Government but even to other stakeholders to devise new mechanisms that can improve livelihoods of freedom fighters’ immediate families socially and economically.

One of Dedan Kimathi Foundation objective is to settle over 20,000 landless freedom fighters related families and even some elderly fighters that are still alive. Freedom fighters heartily philosophies and personal causes were not only to set their countries free from colonial grips but rather to make their future generations enjoy their sacrifices to an extent of losing and risking their lives. They could not allow colonizers to control their lands and more over their moral thinking. They stood and died for what they believed in “Freedom”. We should not mourn our heroes but rather celebrate them. For the living ones they should not live-in abject poverty where even feeding, clothing and affordable shelters are hard to find while ironically, we are spending a lot of resources celebrating the fallen heroes at the expense of the ones we can see.

Dedan Kimathi Foundation have identified vast piece of land in Laikipia county which they intend to buy through support of well-wishers and other related stakeholders including government and its agencies by the settling the freedom fighters related families who live in squalor.