This archive report was first published on 5 September 2019.
On October 21, 1956, Dedan Kimathi, the celebrated Mau Mau war hero, was captured by an African home guard in Kahiga-ini village, Nyeri County, after being shot in the leg.
Kimathi had ambushed the home guard at the foot of the Aberdares, just outside the forest from where he led the Mau Mau war against colonialists.
He was fond of sneaking out of the forest under cover of darkness to meet friends, collect food, and gather information about colonialists and how they were waging the war against Mau Mau fighters.
Kimathi's capture marked the beginning of the end of the Mau Mau war.
Today, the Nyeri County government is building a monument at the site where Kimathi was shot, a five-metre statue complete with a staircase to access the top of the monument.
The area around the monument has been cemented to give it a better look, and barbed mesh wire and concrete posts have been used to fence off the 40m-by-40m shrine.
Commemorative trees planted inside the shrine by high-profile visitors create a canopy that makes the site look attractive.
Kimathi was hanged at the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison in Kiambu on February 18, 1957, after being charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition.
