Kisii County Assembly wants British government to return colonial-era warrior’s head

By KEINAN MIRUKA

Kisii County; Kenya: Kisii County Assembly members want the skull of legendary community warrior Otenyo Nyamaterere allegedly shipped to England during World War II returned home for a decent burial.

In a Motion brought to the House by Nyamasibi Ward county representative Samson Nyagaka, the Members of the County Assembly said they would file a petition to compel the British government to return the skull.

Nyagaka, whose Motion was seconded by the Bokimonge Ward Member of County Assembly George Bibao, took issue with the British government’s selective compensation of former freedom fighters in Kenya.

He argued that the Sh2.6 billion issued by British government as compensation to 5,228 Mau Mau freedom fighters had excluded Gusii community members, who suffered atrocities during British incursion.

Records show British government officers from the Kings African Rifles landed in Kisii in 1905 ostensibly to deal with a group of cattle rustlers, who had killed people in a raid.

The British made invasions in grazing areas known as ‘Ebisarate’ and forcibly took away livestock. The worst incident occurred in 1908 where over 8,000 livestock were impounded.

Revenge attack

A warrior named Otenyo could not take the acts of the Britons any more, having survived a number of earlier raids. He plotted a revenge attack which is said to have led to the killing of a colonial administrator

He was later tried and executed by a firing squad at Gusii Stadium and his trunk buried at the current Gusii Sports Club.