Push to honour forgotten freedom fighters and nation builders gains momentum
The team. National Heroes council and MMV Associates CLG officials..
MMV Associates CLG nominates 11 liberation and post-independence heroes for Kenya’s highest civilian honour
By MKT Reporter
A fresh campaign to recognize some of Kenya’s overlooked liberation heroes, indigenous knowledge custodians and post-independence nation builders has been launched following the submission of an official nomination to the Kenya National Heroes Council seeking the conferment of the prestigious Order of the Elder of the Golden Heart (EGH) on eleven distinguished Kenyans during this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations.
The nominations, submitted by MMV Associates CLG under reference MMV/NHC/NOMINATION/2026/01, call upon the National Heroes Council to recommend the names to President Dr. William Samoei Ruto for consideration during the Mashujaa Day celebrations on October 20, 2026.
According to the petition signed by Ms. Emmah Kasis, Chief Executive Officer of MMV Associates CLG, the nominees represent a cross-section of Kenya’s liberation struggle, post-independence leadership, indigenous governance and community development. The organization says the proposed honourees embody the ideals of sacrifice, justice, equality and nation-building that Mashujaa Day seeks to celebrate.
Honouring liberation heroes and defenders of justice
Leading the list is the late Josiah Mwangi Kariuki (JM Kariuki), remembered as one of Kenya’s most outspoken defenders of social justice. A former Mau Mau detainee, Member of Parliament for Nyandarua North and Assistant Minister for Tourism and Wildlife, Kariuki became a national symbol of resistance against inequality after independence. His assassination in 1975 remains one of Kenya’s most significant political tragedies.
MMV argues that Kariuki’s lifelong fight against land injustice, poverty and economic exclusion makes him deserving of the Elder of the Golden Heart.
Also nominated is Josephine Njeri Mukuna, described as a gallant Mau Mau woman freedom fighter from Nyandarua County who endured detention, torture and displacement during the anti-colonial struggle. The organization says her nomination represents thousands of Kenyan women whose contribution to the liberation movement has largely remained undocumented.
The petition further recognizes Arap Kasis, Paramount Chief of the Koony Community in Trans Nzoia, for defending indigenous land rights during the Carter Land Commission hearings. According to MMV, he resisted European settler land alienation before fleeing to Uganda, where he reportedly refused to eat until his death in protest over the loss of his people’s ancestral land.
Among the nominees are also respected Sabaot and Kalenjin elders Patrick Ngaina Masibo Chonge, Maasal Arap Sangula, and Andrew Saekwo, who are credited with preserving indigenous knowledge, customary governance systems, oral history, conflict resolution mechanisms and traditional medicinal practices despite colonial disruption.
Former legislator Jean Marie Seroney has also been nominated for his unwavering defence of constitutionalism, human rights and the rule of law despite enduring detention during the Kenyatta era.
Recognising nation builders across communities
The list also includes nationalist Masinde Muliro, remembered for his role in Kenya’s independence movement and later advocacy for democracy, inclusion and equitable national development.
Former nominated Senator Zipporah Kittony has been nominated for her pioneering role in advancing women’s empowerment through Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organization, where she championed economic empowerment for rural women and promoted women’s participation in leadership.
Also nominated are Chemtai, recognized for championing Kalenjin community rights, land justice and political representation, and Samuel Moiben, whose post-independence leadership is credited with advocating community dignity, unity, development and equitable distribution of national resources.
MMV says the nominations intentionally reflect Kenya’s diversity by recognizing heroes from the Kikuyu, Koony, Sabaot, Kalenjin and Luhya communities while also highlighting the contributions of women and custodians of indigenous knowledge.
The organization argues that the nominations align with Articles 11 and 27 of the Constitution by promoting cultural heritage, equality and national cohesion. It also says the initiative complements the government’s Cultural Revitalization Campaign by acknowledging the importance of indigenous knowledge in preserving Kenya’s history.
Beyond the honours, MMV Associates CLG says it remains committed to documenting historical injustices affecting communities across all 47 counties and preserving the stories of freedom fighters and post-independence leaders whose contributions have received limited national recognition.
In its appeal to the National Heroes Council, the organization urged the institution to recommend the 11 nominees for conferment of the Elder of the Golden Heart during the 2026 Mashujaa Day celebrations.
The petition concludes with the message: “Memory preserves truth. Truth restores dignity. Unity sustains the nation.”
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