A tribute to Kenya’s forgotten war hero

African men gather around a fire for warmth during World War I in this undated photo. More than one million African soldiers, labourers and porters were vital actors in the war in Europe. [Imperial War Museum via AP]

Why should I distract you from Covid-19 to write about a man you have never heard about? Just wait.

Zachary Mburu Mwikonyi was buried on April 22, 2020 in Shamata, Nyandarua County. His national ID showed he was born in 1926. In an interview in 2017, he gave his date of birth as 1922. His eulogy gave the date as 1918.