Koinange wa Mbiyu (1865–1960) was a
Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language.
It may also refer to:
*Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya
*Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people
*Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Centr ...
chief.
Koinange played a stifling role in
Kenya
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's fight for
independence movement. He was a paramount chief who helped the Colonial powers to suppress Africans that were fighting for the independence. He made his home available for meetings and was involved in providing support for the
Mau Mau.
Although he never learnt to read or write, he was an articulate man, politically active and influential. He led his clan from 1905, and was appointed “headman” by the
Colonial administration
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:
* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology)
Architecture
* American colonial architecture
* French Colonial
* Spanish Colonial architecture
Automobiles
* Colonial (1920 au ...
in 1921, and Senior Chief of Kiambu District in 1938. By 1942 he was Senior Chief without location. He was then to become an adviser on African affairs to the District Commissioner who once described him as “the evil genius of Kiambu”.
He retired in February 1949 as Senior Chief but remained active retaining the role of African deputy vice-president of the Kiambu Local Native Council. However in 1952 he was detained by the colonial government for eight years, being released on July 1, 1960. by this time he was 95 years of age and was quite frail. He died 19 days later.
He had six wives and 34 children including
Mbiyu Koinange
Peter Mbiyu Koinange (1907 – 3 September 1981) was a politician from Kenya. He served in the government and cabinet of Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first president, for 16 years. During this time, he held the post of member of parliament for the ...
.
References
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1866 births
1960 deaths
People of the Mau Mau Uprising
Kikuyu people