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My dogged struggle to free Kenyatta and the Kapenguria Six from jail

Jomo Kenyatta

In this third instalment of the serialisation of ‘Forward to Independence’ the author reveals insider details during the trials of Kenyan leaders, including Mzee Kenyatta, who he represented in court. 
On October 20, a few days after the killing of Chief Waruhiu, the newly appointed Governor Evelyn Baring ordered a State of Emergency to be imposed throughout the country. On the streets of Nairobi troops and police were raiding houses and hauling people out. Hearing the commotion, I locked and bolted my door just before they passed by, banging on the wood so hard I thought it would splinter. Within 24 hours, over 183 people had been rounded up. Among them were Bildad Kaggia, Kung’u Karumba, Fred Kubai, Paul Ngei, Achieng Oneko and the President of the Kenya African Union (KAU) Jomo Kenyatta. On November 17 and 18, all six were taken to Kapenguria and formally charged with membership and management of the Mau Mau.
After Kenyatta’s arrest, we simply didn’t know what to do. I was surprised that, having expected this, he hadn’t nominated anyone to take over from him. There was the sense of being in a vacuum. Pio (Gama Pinto), who was not a member of KAU, called us together in the back room of the Garden Hotel. Although this was an Indian establishment, any gathering of more than four people was deemed by the authorities to be a political meeting, and, concerned that we were under surveillance and any one of us might be apprehended at any moment, we entered discreetly via a small alleyway. From a list of KAU members, Pio proposed Walter Odede M.L.C. to be Chairman, Muinga Chokwe acting Secretary, W.W. Awori M.L.C. acting Treasurer, and a few other nominations. Fearing Chokwe would almost certainly be on the wanted list, we also advised him to go into hiding, but like Kenyatta, he refused.
INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION
Meanwhile, developments in Kenya had attracted international attention. Within weeks of the emergency being declared, it was reported that senior British statesman Fenner Brockway, the eminent anti-colonialist, and Labour MP Leslie Hale were flying out to see for themselves what was going on.
On the day the plane was due to land in Nairobi, Chokwe was eager to welcome the two Englishmen. Despite a warrant having now been issued for him, he joined the small crowd gathered at the airport, where he was spotted by the police and arrested.

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