Three organisations have united to advance veterans’ reparations and warn Kenyans against tribal politics as the election cycle gathers pace.
By Brian Gitonga
The Mau Mau Veterans Associate CLG yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mwamko Mpya Initiative Peace Movement and Kenya Veterans for Peace, committing the three organisations to a joint campaign for peace, unity and compensation for Mau Mau veterans ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The signing ceremony, held at Bluepost Hotel in Thika, drew representatives from across all 47 counties. Mau Mau Veterans Associate CLG chief executive Emma Kasisi said the agreement marked a significant step as the country entered another election cycle, and that a united front would give the veterans’ long-running compensation campaign greater visibility and political weight.
“Today, we have signed the memorandum of understanding between groups advocating for peace, love and unity in our nation,” Kasisi said. “Our unity will speed up the compensation agenda and strengthen our voice in preaching peace, love and unity.”
Beyond peacebuilding, Kasisi said the partnership would intensify efforts to have Mau Mau reparations formally incorporated into national policy and budget priorities, with the organisations planning to mobilise communities and engage Parliament and other stakeholders on the issue. She also issued a direct warning to young Kenyans, urging them to stay alert as political activity intensifies, and to resist being used to advance interests that could fracture the country’s social fabric.
Khadija Theuri, a Mau Mau Veterans Associate CLG member from Nyeri, spoke on behalf of the Mwamko Mpya Peace Initiative, which she said was registered in 2013 and has since grown to approximately 1.7 million members across the country. Theuri said the initiative had joined the partnership out of a shared commitment to national unity, and that the ceremony itself was proof that Kenyans from different communities — including representatives from Nandi and Pokot — could come together without reservation.
“We have come here so that we can work together in unity with our brothers and sisters from Mau Mau without discriminating against each other on the basis of tribalism,” Theuri said. She added that Kenya’s history was shaped by the sacrifices of people from many communities, and that citizens owed it to that history to reject tribal divisions.
James Muriuki, national chairperson of Kenya Veterans for Peace, said his organisation brought together retired Kenya Defence Forces personnel who had carried their commitment to service beyond the barracks. He said the organisation had been promoting peaceful coexistence since 2007, when the country faced one of its most turbulent post-election periods.
“Since we started preaching peace in this country, the change is evident — and you too can see the evidence of that change,” Muriuki said, describing the new partnership as a natural extension of work his members had been doing for nearly two decades.
A note of caution was sounded by Silas Mbaabu, a Mau Mau Veterans Associate CLG member from Meru, who praised the leadership for bringing diverse groups together but warned the public against imposters. Mbaabu said a number of individuals and organisations were fraudulently using the Mau Mau name to solicit money from unsuspecting Kenyans by making false promises of benefits.
“We know there are many other groups claiming to be Mau Mau and conning people. We ask people to be alert and avoid being deceived,” he said.
The partnership reflects a broader anxiety within civil society about the direction of public discourse as 2027 approaches. For the Mau Mau veterans and their allies, the message is consistent: Kenya’s future depends on unity, and the sacrifices of those who fought for independence deserve acknowledgement — not just in words, but in policy and in public funds.
