Stanley Mathenge
Encyclopedia
Stanley Mathenge wa Mirugi (born c. 1919 in Mahiga
, Nyeri District
) was a Mau Mau
leader.
Before the Mau mau rebellion, he had fought in Burma. Later he became the leader of the Forty Group
, an organisation supporting Kenya African Union
(KAU). He also founded the Kenya Riigi, a group of illiterate fighters. Mathenge believed in traditional Kikuyu religion . In May 1953 he became the leader of the newly formed Mau Mau military unit Nyeri District Council and Army . His rivalry with field marshal Dedan Kimathi
harmed integrity of the Mau mau movement .
He disappeared in 1955 and was later reported to be allegedly living in Ethiopia
.
On May 30, 2003 a man believed to be Stanley Mathenge, living in Ethiopia, was invited to Kenya by president Mwai Kibaki
and was given a hero's welcome by the state. It was soon revealed that the man was Ato Lemma Ayanu, who himself denied being Mathenge . DNA test published four years later proved he was not Mathenge .
Mahiga
Mahiga is a Location in Nyeri County of Kenya's Central Province....
, Nyeri District
Nyeri District
Nyeri District is a district in the Central Province of Kenya. Its headquarters is in Nyeri town. It has a population of 661,156 and an area of 3,356 km².The district is located on the southwest flank of Mount Kenya...
) was a Mau Mau
Mau Mau Uprising
The Mau Mau Uprising was a military conflict that took place in Kenya between 1952 and 1960...
leader.
Before the Mau mau rebellion, he had fought in Burma. Later he became the leader of the Forty Group
Forty Group
The Forty Group was a Kenyan society or organization of the mid-twentieth century constituted primarily of members of the Kenya African Union who joined with the aim of using violence to make their voice heard. The name is a translation of the Gĩkũyũ phrase Anake a 40, which means The Young Men of 40...
, an organisation supporting Kenya African Union
Kenya African Union
Kenya African Union was a political organization formed in 1944to articulate Kenyan grievances against the British colonial administration of the time...
(KAU). He also founded the Kenya Riigi, a group of illiterate fighters. Mathenge believed in traditional Kikuyu religion . In May 1953 he became the leader of the newly formed Mau Mau military unit Nyeri District Council and Army . His rivalry with field marshal Dedan Kimathi
Dedan Kimathi
Dedan Kimathi Waciuri , was a Kenyan rebel leader who fought against the British colonial government in Kenya in the 1950s. He was convicted and executed in 1957 for murder and terrorism....
harmed integrity of the Mau mau movement .
He disappeared in 1955 and was later reported to be allegedly living in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
.
On May 30, 2003 a man believed to be Stanley Mathenge, living in Ethiopia, was invited to Kenya by president Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki is the current and third President of the republic of Kenya.Kibaki was previously Vice President of Kenya for ten years from 1978–1988 and also held cabinet ministerial positions, including a widely acclaimed stint as Minister for Finance , Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for...
and was given a hero's welcome by the state. It was soon revealed that the man was Ato Lemma Ayanu, who himself denied being Mathenge . DNA test published four years later proved he was not Mathenge .