The widow of freedom fighter Field Marshall Dedan Kimathi passed away last night at a Nairobi hospital.
Her daughter Nyawira Kimathi, who lived with her mother at their Komarok home in Nairobi, said Mukami developed respiration complications and was rushed to the hospital on Thursday night where she succumbed shortly after.
Following her demise, several leaders including President Ruto, Deputy President Gachagua, and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga paid tribute to her.
“Mama Mukami Kimathi courageously withstood the brutality of colonial oppression, proudly wore the scars of the battle, and bore the terrible losses of war with admirable fortitude. She was a legendary fighter in her own right and the wife of the legend, Dedan Waciuri Kimathi, who was captured, tried, and executed by the colonial state. I convey my condolences to the family of our departed heroine, Mukami Kimathi. I pray that the Almighty God grants you his divine solace at this time of sorrow. We shall honor her memory and treasure her legacy. May God rest her soul in everlasting peace,” President Ruto’s Twitter post read in part.
“This is a great loss. She was a symbol of our resilience and our struggle,” Mr. Gachagua mourned as he assured the departed’s family of full government support.
“My thoughts have been with Mama Mukami Kimathi and her family throughout the long years she has lived as a widow. Her passing today closes a chapter she came to personify-the reality that freedom has a price and
the nation we have today came out of sacrifices that left permanent pain and suffering in some families like that of Dedan Kimathi, her late husband. I will always salute and honor Mukami for the fortitude with which she
picked up the pieces, holding her family together, seeking the truth about her husband, and continuing to remind Kenyans of the virtues of patriotism, courage, and unity. Kenya owes Mama Mukami a dignified send-off and a permanent comfort for the rest of their family throughout their life,” read Mr. Odinga’s press statement.
