Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

top

Kenya

Dedan Kimathi’s grandson chains himself to monument

Kimathi says his family is languishing in poverty, yet no one has helped them despite coming from a family of freedom fighters/MUTHONI NJUKI

Kimathi says his family is languishing in poverty, yet no one has helped them despite coming from a family of freedom fighters/MUTHONI NJUKI

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 9 – A man claiming to be Dedan Kimathi’s grandson chained himself to the late freedom fighter’s monument on Nairobi’s Kimathi Street for several hours on Monday.

The man, who says he is called Dedan Kimathi, said he would not climb down until his grandmother – the widow of the late Kimathi – came to his rescue.

“I am waiting for my grandmother to come, I will not come down,” the man murmured to the huge crowd that had gathered to witness the bizarre event at the centre of the busy city.

According to his brother Kimathi Waciuri, the family is languishing in poverty such that it cannot afford to offset a hospital bill incurred by their mother.

Waciuri explained that their mother who has been in hospital and discharged could not leave because they do not have money to pay the bills.

“He is only doing this because of frustration. His grandfather fought for this country, they build a house for our ‘cucu’ (Grandmother) but what about the children, and his mother is at the hospital because she does not have that amount of money to pay so that she can be released from the hospital,” he explained.

His mother is said to be the third born in the family of the late Dedan Kimathi.

Kimathi, who was found chained on the monument in the early morning of Monday is also said to be jobless making it difficult to maintain his family.

Family members who gathered after learning on media that their relative was on the monument claimed that they had not received any help from the government apart from a house built for the late Kimathi’s widow.

Despite efforts to plead with him to come down, the man said he would not leave until his grandmother spoke to him.
Firefighters who had gone to the scene left without much achievement.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

The monument along Kimathi Street was erected to honor one of Kenya’s most important heroes who fought for the country’s independence.

About The Author

Comments
Advertisement

More on Capital News