War veterans want vetting ahead of compensation

By Antony Gitonga

Naivasha, Kenya: Mau Mau war veterans now want a vetting exercise ahead of the planned compensation by the British government.

The war heroes expressed fears the exercise could be hijacked by tens of fake “heroes” who had cropped up after the British government agreed to an out of court compensation.

They said majority of them suffered as a result of the ruthless attacks by the colonialists, adding that the compensation would come as a relief.

Led by an official of the Mau Mau War Veterans Association Waithaka wa Nyanjua, they said the Jubilee Government had a mandate to protect them in their manifesto and called for its implementation.

“The compensation has come in very late but would assist us greatly and we call on our Government to vet all the Mau Mau veterans,” Mr Nyanjua said.

He asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to form a committee to steer the process, adding that they may be locked out of the intended compensation due to the influx of fake heroes.

He was speaking to the Press in Naivasha where over 500 veterans met to deliberate on the final stages of the case and its implications.

On his part, John Njari said they were aware of several groups interested in the case and questioned their timely move now that compensation was due.

Interested parties

“We are aware of several interested parties, including human rights groups and various law firms who might convolute the issue with ulterior motives.”

Njari urged leaders of the already registered Mau Mau organisations, including War Veterans Association that is headed by Gitu wa Kahengeri, to assist in the vetting.

Njari observed that most of their colleagues had either passed on or were too old to comprehend the latest development hence the need to assist their families access the funds.

The British government has since relented to pressure from human rights groups and lawyers who have been pushing for the compensation citing the atrocities meted on the freedom fighters by the colonial administration.

More than 10,000 Kenyans were tortured at the hands of the British government in the 1950s during the Mau Mau rebellion.