Independence war veterans right to accept apology

The names of Gitu Wa Kahengeri, secretary general of the Mau Mau War Veterans Association, Paulo Nzili, Wambugu Wa Nyingi and Jane Muthoni Mara, will remain forever etched in the memory of many a freedom fighter, torturer and executioner alike.

For getting a compensation package 50 years on and a British grudging apology has not been easy. And certainly, not cheap. Obviously, Sh300,000 can never be compensation enough for any form of brutality. But the mere fact that these veterans of Kenya’s war of independence managed to bring down a First World country’s wall of silence, is testament to their importunity and resilience.