Mau Mau remnants from Igembe Central, Meru county, have asked the government to compensate them for the suffering they underwent when fighting for freedom.
The call comes as the country prepares to celebrate Jamhuri Day next week to mark the day Kenya attained Independence.
Spokesperson Eliud Mutindi, 80, urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to at least give them land as token for the suffering they underwent under the colonial administration.
“Most of the freedom fighters have nothing to show for fighting for freedom. The President should give us land so our offspring can inherit it,” he said.
Mutindi said most of them are languishing in poverty and they live as squatters.
They appreciated the government’s efforts of introducing the cash transfer programme for the elderly.
Mutindi urged Kenyans to show their patriotism by coming out in large numbers to celebrate Jamhuri Day. “We should appreciate people like Munyao from Ukambani who climbed to the peak of Mount Kenya to mount the nation’s flag,” he said.
In October last year, governor Kiraitu Murungi said two streets in Meru town would be named after Mau Mau veterans.
He said the county government would name two streets after Field Marshal Baimungi Marete and General Mwariama.
The county boss said the two heroes had been forgotten, despite their effort to fight colonialists.
“Many do not know Field Marshal Baimungi Marete took over the mantle of leadership of Mau Mau after the killing of Dedan Kimathi in 1956. This fact needs to be recognised in the history books of this country,” Kiraitu said.
Baimungi was born in Katheri, Central Imenti constituency in 1924. He participated in Burma war as a British soldier.
He was the second in command after Dedan Kimathi and led many Mau Mau operations in Mount Kenya East. Baimungi and his soldiers came out of the forest and they were promised 10,000 acres of land in Meru, seven flags and a car. The promise by Kenyatta was however never fulfilled.