'Consider us too,' Mau Mau veterans tell Ruto

Members of Mau Mau War Veterans Association on July 7, 2026 in a meeting at a Nairobi hotel. [Gitau Wanyoike, Standard]

Mau Mau war veterans have asked President William Ruto to widen a state compensation scheme launched for Gen Z protest victims to also cover survivors of the independence struggle.

Speaking on Wednesday, July 8, in Thika under the Mau Mau War Veterans Association, the veterans noted decades-old grievances from the fight against colonial rule remain unresolved even as government moves to compensate victims of the June 2024 protests.

"If you are compensating these Gen Z victims, kindly, Mr President, consider us too," said Margaret Wanjiku, one family member of a Mau Mau survivor.

Many freedom fighters and their descendants continue to live in poverty, with some still carrying physical and emotional scars from the liberation struggle, the veterans explained.

"We have really struggled to get education. We do not even have land. We look like refugees in our own country. The government should give us land and compensate us," added John Karuga, another family member.

Their appeal comes as government rolls out a Sh2 billion (about $15.5 million) compensation fund launched in June 2026 for more than 1,000 verified victims and families affected by human rights violations, police brutality and injuries linked to the June 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.

The veterans urged authorities to broaden the programme to cover victims of both pre-colonial and post-colonial injustices.

"Pre and post-colonial victims of injustices should also be considered," they observed.