Police In Othaya Bar Group From Meeting Over Mau Mau Compensation
James Njuguna Mahuria addressing journalists outside Nyeri Central Sub-County offices last month. He is flanked by some of the groups officials. Photo/Courtesy.
By MKT Correspondents
A group claiming to be championing for the interest of former freedom fighters was yesterday barred from holding a meeting at Othaya stadium, Nyeri County.
The group was denied entry into the stadium by security officers over lack of authorisation as required by law.
Security sources said the group, which is headed by a grandson of a former colonial chief they were denied entry due to among other things their continued extortion of cash from the elderly former freedom fighters and some descendants.
Some of those who had arrived in Othaya town had travelled from far and wide, with expectations that they would be informed when the compensation money would be given out.
Police sources said they had received numerous complaints on the group continued demand for cash under the guise of preparing and facilitating the compensation.
“We have received many complaints from elderly people on this issue. We are investigating the issue,” said a security officer involved in the matter.
However, some of the aggrieved members of public accused the government of watching as the group continues to extort cash from the public despite the fact that the British government had already made it clear that there were no plans to release any more compensation cash, save for what it gave out in 2013.
Yesterday’s abortive meeting was the fifth since December in what seems like a norm where members are asked to make contributions for organising such meetings which never materialise.
Two weeks ago, the same group, working through Mau Mau War Veterans Association and Mau Mau Children Post Colonial Elites under Jeremiah Mugi Foundation held a meeting where they were informed that they would soon be getting trillions of shillings in compensation.
They were however not told where the money was got from with one of the compensation fiasco architect, James Njuguna Mahuria claiming that the money was in one of the international bank’s Nyeri town branch.
Mahuria had made similar claims to them last month where he told them that they would be getting the cash within days, which have now turned into weeks.
On March 3, Mahuria led a group of former freedom fighters in storming a public participation meeting, convened by Nyeri County Assembly.
He misled them in believing that the meeting had been convened to discuss their compensation whereas it had a different agenda.
Yesterday’s event was the fifth in three months when the former freedom fighters have travelled to Nyeri for meetings that never materialise.
On December 10, a meeting set to take place at Kabiru-ini Show grounds failed to take off after the management said the convenors had not paid for the venue and they had no the required permits.
Thousands of former freedom fighters were stranded as Mahuria and other convenors heaped blame on each other.
On February 18, another such meeting aborted over similar reasons. It is after they were denied access to Kabiru-ini grounds that Mahuria and part of his team travelled to Kahira-ini for the Kimathi Memorial ceremony which was hosted by Dedan Kimathi Foundation which is led by Ms Evalyne Wanjugu.
This publication has established that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations is yet to complete Investigations, months after several people were arrested in Othaya illegally collecting money under the guise of registering them to be in the list of those set to be compensated.
Some of the descendants of Mau Mau who attended yesterday’s meeting accused those spearheading the compensation issue of hoodwinking the elders over the issue.
They wondered where money for compensation would come from, with the British on January 23 through its High Commissioner clarifying that there were no plans for the former colonial masters to release cash or land to the Mau Mau or their descendants.
They called on the government to move fast and take action against those misleading the remaining former freedom fighters.
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