KARIMI NDUTHU 1961 - 1996: PATRIOT AND REVOLUTIONARY DEMOCRAT

KARIMI NDUTHU 1961 - 1996: PATRIOT AND REVOLUTIONARY DEMOCRAT

Karimi Nduthu in white shirt

Karimi Nduthu, was born in 1961 to his parents Nduthu wa Mathaai and Wambui wa Nduthu at Karinga in Molo Division in Nakuru District. He joined Molo Primary School in 1968. He attended several primary schools as his father, a schoolteacher, was frequently transferred. He sat for his Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) at Githima Primary School in Kuresoi, Molo and later joined Molo Secondary School in 1976. He sat for East African Certificate of Education (EACE) in 1979 and joined Kapsabet Boys High School in Nandi District where he sat for his Advanced Certificate of Education in 1981.

Karimi took up temporary teaching jobs in Molo Township and Njabini Girls Secondary School in 1982 in 1983 respectively. During the time he was teaching, he developed a close relationship with his students. The students loved him for his caring spirit while his fellow teachers respected him because of his dedication.

His movement in the different parts of the country brought him face to face with living conditions of the ordinary Kenyans. He was struck with one fact: that the living conditions of the working people in general, and the rural peasant in particular were basically the same no matter the part of the country they came from. He also noted that the wealthy and well-to-do, whatever their ethnic and regional origins, behaved the same towards the poor.

Karimi in the middle

Karimi was enrolled in the Mechanical Department of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nairobi in September 1983 and immediately involved himself in students’ politics. For him, engineering was part of social life and he never took the reactionary position that sciences had nothing to do with politics and cultures. The University authorities under the tutelage of dictatorial and oppressive regime expelled him from the highest seat of learning in February 1985 because of his revolutionary activities.  He refused to be a “good boy” while the country sank lower into tyranny in the hands of enemies of the people. It was during this period that he came across underground literature of December Twelve Movement and due to their ideological clarity. Karimi joined the party, the party was later to change to Mwakenya December Twelve Movement (MKDTM) so as to reflect correctly the history, continuity and the mainstreams that have gone into making it.  

Karimi proved to be one of the most active cadres in the party, always ready to give his body and mind to a cause he saw will liberate Kenya.  It was while he was on a Mwakenya mission that he was arrested in July 1986. He was charged with sabotage activities against the dictatorship and he and his comrades Tirop Kitur and Kangethe Mungai, were arraigned in a Kangaroo Court in Nakuru.  On July 4^th 1986, Karimi was sentenced to Fourteen Years in Prison with hard labour. Even as he went to prison he never asked for mercy, it was with head raised high and fingers raised in symbol of an ultimate victory for the people in fighting for their country: “I believe in fighting for my country. I find nothing criminal in criticising the government…change, like death is inevitable”.

On June 22^nd, 1992 Karimi was released after serving six years of his term. This resulted from a campaign waged by the Mothers of political prisoners and members of Release Political Prisoners (RPP). He involved himself with activities of RPP and was elected its Secretary General in November 1992. Karimi was very active in fighting for the release of other political prisoners and fighting for democracy and good governance.

In all his work he was guided by Mwakenya party’s ideology which he always saw as bigger than any individual office bearer. Karimi, being a National Coordinator of Mwakenya December Twelve Movement, remained faithful to the ideals of the party. He read progressive literature in an effort to quench his thirst for knowledge to guide the party in attainment of its goal of seeing a democratic and just society in which the wealth of our land and industry would go to enhance the lives of all working people of Kenya.

His unwavering commitment to the just cause saw the enemy of the working people send their agents to his residence in Riruta Satellite, a suburb of Nairobi where they brutally murdered him. The said agents, upon finishing their mission, left only to be followed by the police who were only interested with his research documents, his cassettes recorder and valuable tapes of interviews with women Mau Mau fighters – a research project that Karimi was involved in - which they took with them. The enemies of the people were able to eliminate Karimi physically but they could not kill the cause to which he dedicated his life.

Karimi was a revolutionary jewel, firmly embedded in the purest forms of the Kenyan tradition of patriotic resistance. His name symbolise resistance against oppression and exploitation. He will never die if we emulate him. He will never die if we are willing to pick up his revolutionary banner and march forward in unity. If we emulate his profound example the cause for which he died will never be defeated.

Karimi’s Quotes

“The government has used oppressive laws to ensure that those campaigning for a just social order are perpetually in prison. We believe that the problem can only be solved through concerted efforts on the part of those fighting for social justice. We must dismantle those institutions that engender oppression…” (Karimi Nduthu, February 1995).

 “We would like to remind KANU that Kenyans are not babies. We know what is good for our country. Its paternalistic approach to constitutional change is, to say the least, obnoxious. It is also contradictory of a regime that boasts of popular support to show such lack of faith in the people.” (Karimi Nduthu in a press statement on 3^rd June 1995).

“Tactics of terrorism are foredoomed to fail. No amount of intimidation, terror etc will stifle Kenyans’ legitimate struggle for democracy and social justice. You cannot stem the quest for freedom and justice by terror. The quest for freedom and justice can only be stemmed by fulfilling people’s legitimate demands. (Karimi Nduthu 16^th March 1995).  

“We have to study, analyse and understand the role of NGOs in our country. It is a fact that they are imperialist agencies whose agenda is to sabotage and derail the national democratic revolution. They are enemies from within.” (Karimi Nduthu 15^th September 1995)

“A scientific and historical study of our society would help us to combat the politic of tribalism and narrow nationalism imposed on our people by the comprador bourgeois rulers and their imperialist backers” (Karimi Nduthu 15^th September 1995)

Excerpt from Karimi’s letter sent to Maina Kinyatti on 7^th March 1996:

“Recently, the secret police have been following me. I think they want to harass me to weaken my resolve. It is certainly psychological warfare. I suspect the regime has never forgiven me for my Mwakenya MK membership. They know that I have always stood firmly behind the party’s agenda for national democratic revolution and the creation of a new Kenya. But these recent acts may have been triggered by our work in RPP. The regime does not like RPP because it is above ground organisation with clear agenda, a clear focus, and a courageous membership that is always ready to confront the regime over human and democratic rights! The feeling is that we have been very effective in continuing to focus national and international pressure on the human rights abuses in this country. And so far the regime has failed to ‘buy’ our members. They can follow me as much as they want, but they underestimate me if they think that they can intimidate me and force me to abandon the struggle for democracy and social justice. But let this not worry you. I can handle it.”