“We reject your offer because it amounts to a bribe. You, of all people, should know that we fought and bled for the liberation of our land, not for money or a few acres. We refuse to disarm until your government meets our demands. True independence means Kenyans control their land, expel foreign exploiters, dismantle colonial machinery and distribute justice to all.”
These words were spoken by General Baimungi, the fearless Meru freedom fighter, as he stood before Jomo Kenyatta, the man who would become Kenya’s first president.
What unfolded was a confrontation not just between two leaders, but between two visions for a free Kenya.
The Meru people, who had fought fiercely for liberation, were beginning to see that their sacrifice was going unnoticed in the emerging political landscape dominated by Kenyatta and his friends.
Looking at General Baimungi squarely in the eye, Kenyatta retorted in Kikuyu, anger clear in his voice:
“Baimungi, you went to the forest for independence, and now it is in our hands. What more do you want? Do you intend to destroy the country? We will not let that happen.”
His words, directed not just at Baimungi but all his colleagues in the battle, revealed a growing division. The mau mau had fought for land, justice and equality, but now, barely independent, they were being sidelined.
The guerrilla leaders stood their ground, responding with their famed cry, “A luta continua!”—the struggle continues.
600 Shillings for Freedom
On March 31, 1964, a peace meeting was arranged between Kenyatta and the guerrillas in an attempt to resolve their differences.
Kenyatta offered them 600 shillings, land and other incentives if they surrendered. However, General Baimuingi rejected the offer, stating they had fought for true freedom, not for money or land, and would not disarm until their demands were met.
He passionately argued that real independence would only come when Kenyans controlled their land, expelled foreign exploiters and ensured justice.
Kenyatta, accommodating the interests of British imperialism and the rising bourgeois class, refused to meet the guerrilla leaders’ demands.
Frustrated, he warned them of military action, to which Baimuingi responded that they were not bandits but freedom fighters, unwilling to compromise their struggle.
Following the collapse of the negotiations, Kenyatta issued a stern warning: the government would take military action if the Mau Mau fighters refused to back down.
General Baimungi, undeterred, replied with fierce determination:
“We do not want war, unless forced upon us. We are not bandits or terrorists, but freedom fighters. Our courage and sacrifice freed you from colonial prison and brought independence to Kenya. Yet we cannot support a government that sells out the very ideals we fought for. You have compromised the fundamental interests of our people to imperialism.”
But instead of listening, Kenyatta stormed out, leaving the guerrilla leaders to be unceremoniously driven back to Meru.
Generals Baimuingi, Ruku and Chui, having been marginalized during the constitutional negotiations, gathered their forces and returned to the forest to reignite the armed struggle.
Despite their determination, they faced a tough situation, with Kenyatta now a national icon.
When Kenyatta heard that Baimuingi had refused to disarm, he reacted harshly, saying:
“Gūtingīgia anene erī būrūriinī; niī na Njenūrū Baimūingi. Kamūndū kau nī thīna karenda gūcokia būrūriinī na thirikari yakwa ndīngītīkīria; tūgūkahīta, twakanyita tūkonorie.” (There can’t be two heads of state in one country, me and Baimuingi. That small man is trying to cause chaos, and my government will not allow it).
The guerrillas were driven to Meru town and returned to the forest that night, preparing for what seemed like an inevitable bloody confrontation.
In response to Baimungi’s defiance, Kenyatta unleashed the former colonial army, a brutal force made up of both white and black soldiers, paramilitary police and the notorious Humungati militia.
The assault on the KLFA began with intensive bombings across the Kirinyaga region, and a dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed on Meru. Innocent civilians were caught in the crossfire, as Kenyatta’s forces moved in with ruthless precision.
General Baimungi’s Death
On January 26, 1965, Generals Baimuingi, Ruku and Chui were killed in battle, their bodies paraded in Meru town as a grim display of Kenyatta’s state power. Field Marshall Musa Mwariama recalls the devastating scene, describing how he rushed to Meru to see Baimuingi’s body.
Overcome with grief, he examined the bullet wound that killed his comrade, realizing with profound sorrow that despite fighting for independence, their sacrifices were being brutally crushed by the very government they helped create.
“I rushed to Meru town and found his body. The bullet had pierced his right hand and neck. As I examined it, tears flowed down my face. This was the same government we helped create, now turning its guns on us. I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Are we all destined to die like Baimungi?’
In the aftermath of Baimungi’s death, a deep sense of betrayal settled over the Meru people. Despite their central role in the Mau Mau rebellion, they were left out of the political and economic power structures that emerged post-independence.
In all political and economic aspects, the scars of this betrayal remain, with the Merus feeling sidelined and neglected in the halls of power.
Baimungi’s death was not just the loss of a general, but the silencing of a voice that had fought for true justice and equality.
To this day, the Meru people remember him as a hero, a symbol of their struggle for recognition in a country they helped to free, but one that seems to have forgotten their sacrifice.
(Adapted from Kinyatti, History of Resistance in Kenya, 2019)
The author is a Digital Strategist and Content Creator at Innovage Kenya. He occasionally writes on matters Technology and Politics.
