KUNG’U KARUMBA

Kung’u Karumba was a Kenyan nationalist and freedom fighter, best known as a member of the Kapenguria Six, alongside Jomo Kenyatta, Bildad Kaggia, Fred Kubai, Paul Ngei and Achieng Oneko

Karumba was born around 1902 in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, Kenya, which was then part of the East Africa Protectorate under British colonial rule.Karumba was raised in a farming family in a Kikuyu community  and  never received extensive formal education but acquired most of his knowledge through self-education  because he never had a privilege of joining any mission school at that time.Aspects of political experience,community networks,trade exposure ,self-education and practical involvement in nationalistic networks contributed to his understanding of politics,organization and economic matters.

Kung’u Karumba’s early life was shaped by the hardships and injustices of colonialism which include land dispossession,forced labour,political exclusion,cultural suppression,economic marginalization and high taxation which led to loss of life and property among other injustices.These injustices helped radicalize Karumba’s  commmunity and other Kenyan communities fueling the Mau Mau uprising and the struggle for independence.

Before his involvement in politics, in [1930-1940s  Kung’u  Karumba was a successful tailor and entrepreneur in Nairobi where his tailoring shop later became a meeting place for nationalists and even freedom fighters who gained access to capital and political connections elevating him to elite status.

Kung’u Karumba had three wives namely;

• Tabitha Muthoni Kung’u (died 4 Aug 1999), mother of four children
• Esther Wangari Kung’u
• Wairimu Kung’u
• Johnson Muchai Karumba
• Christopher Karumba Kung’u

2.   Mary Wanjiku Kung’u (died 26 Feb 2010), mother of eight children

• Beatrice Wangari Kariuki
• Christopher Karumba
• Philemona Njambi
• Peter Muchai Kung’u
• Abraham Karanja Karumba
• Michael Njoroge Karumba
• Virginia Wanjiru Karumba
• [Son] Karumba

3.  Esther Wanjiru Kung’u (died 3 Feb 2008), mother of seven children

• Margaret Wangari Muchai
• Hannah Wanjiku
• Gashengeshi wa Kungu Karumba
• Rose Njeri Ndungu
• Elizabeth Wambui Karumba
• Pauline Njeri  Karumba
• Regina Karumba

Kung’u Karumba entered political life not through traditional politics or elected office but through his active support for the nationalist movement particularly Kenya’s fight for independence from British colonial rule. His path to political involvement was shaped by economic struggle, community activism and deep patriotism.

Karumba’s tailoring business in Nairobi helped him in enter to politics through his shop which became a popular meeting place for Africans especially workers, unionists and early nationalists where ideas about freedom and African identity were exchanged.This helped him build close ties with key political figures like Jomo Kenyatta, Fred Kubai and Bildad Kaggia.

As a Kikuyu, Karumba experienced land loss, economic marginalization and racial discrimination-central issues for many Africans under colonial rule. These injustices along with his interactions with politically active customers and friends radicalized him fueling his support for political activism where he provided logistical help and participation in nationalist activities behind the scenes.

Though not a fighter in the forest, Karumba was accused by the British colonial government of being a key political organizer of the Mau Mau movement.In 1952, at the height of the Mau Mau emergency, he was arrested and charged with managing the Mau Mau society alongside five other prominent nationalists namely;

• Jomo Kenyatta
• Achieng Oneko
• Bildad Kaggia
• Fred Kubai
• Paul Ngei

They were imprisoned for nearly 7 years in Kapenguria Prison in West Pokot county becoming symbols of the independence struggle. Though he was not a speechmaker or party leader, Karumba’s imprisonment made him a national hero and a recognized figure in Kenya’s political history.

After the release from prison he invested in several industries, including transport, textiles and bulk oil haulage.Karumba’s Business Ventures incuded;

• Transport Industry where he owned a fleet of long-distance vehicles, facilitating trade and movement across Kenya and neighboring countries.
• Bulk Oil Haulage where he was involved in transporting oil from the Port of Mombasa to Kampala and Bujumbura, contributing to regional commerce.
• Textile Factory-Karumba is said to run a textile factory Ken-Knit Limited in downtown Nairobi, supporting local manufacturing and employment.His foray into textiles was part of a broader post-independence wave of African entrepreneurship.

After Kenya gained independence in 1963, Karumba transitioned into business and public life where he became a successful entrepreneur and was active in various sectors including transport and trade. He also remained close to President Kenyatta and retained political influence due to their long-standing relationship.

The most mysterious and significant event in Karumba’s post-independence life was his disappearance in 1974. He vanished while on a business trip to Uganda where he is reportedly trying to recover a debt from the wife of a Ugandan army officer.Several reports suggest that Karumba had lent a great sum of money to the wife of a Ugandan military officer and had traveled to Uganda to collect it. He was last seen in the town of Kitale near the Kenya-Uganda border.

According to intelligence and subsequent investigations:

• He is believed to have been abducted and killed in Uganda.
• His disappearance was likely connected to the regime of Idi Amin the then Ugandan dictator.
• Uganda never officially acknowledged responsibility and Karumba’s body was never found.

His disappearance caused diplomatic tensions between Kenya and Uganda although Kenya did not pursue the matter aggressively in public, possibly to avoid a confrontation with Idi Amin’s regime.

SOURCES

“The Kenyatta Succession” by Joseph Karimi and Philip Ochieng

‘’Mau Mau and Kenya: An Analysis of a Peasant Revolt” by Wunyabari O. Maloba

“Kenya: A History Since Independence” by Charles Hornsby

“Unhappy Valley: Conflict in Kenya and Africa” by Bruce Berman & John Lonsdale

MauMauWar.com

Mzalendo.com

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By Alfred Mia.

John

The author is an experienced radio journalist and media manager.