SPEAKER_00: Hey y'all, I'm Erin Haynes. I'm the editor-at-large for The 19th News, a nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics, and policy. We look at where our democracy remains unfinished, where women, people of color, and queer people are still not included. And later this month, I'll be your host for a brand new podcast from The 19th News and Wonder Media Network called The Amendment. More on that soon. But for now, I'm excited to be your guest host
for this month of Womanica. This Black History Month, we're talking about revolutionaries,
the Black women who led struggles for liberation from violent governments, colonial rulers, and enslavers. These women had the courage to imagine radically different worlds, and
they used their power to try and pull those worlds into view. Today we're talking about
a Kenyan freedom fighter whose unparalleled commitment to independence from the British made her a national symbol of resistance. Let's talk about Muthoni Karima.
Muthoni Karima was born in 1930 in central Kenya. Her father did not allow her to attend
school, so Muthoni spent her childhood working alongside her parents on a European settlers' farm. There, she witnessed racism, physical abuse, and sexual violence committed by the
white settlers. Around the age of 18, Muthoni married and was able to move away from the
farm. A few years later in 1952, she joined a group of Kenyan freedom fighters formerly
called the Kenyan Land and Freedom Army, but more commonly known as the Mau Mau. The Mau
Mau were fighting for Kenyan independence from British and European rule. Muthoni brought
information and supplies to the Mau Mau soldiers hiding in the nearby woods. A year later,
her husband also joined the Mau Mau, and the couple moved into the forest with the rest of the fighters. The Mau Mau launched violent attacks against white settlers and colonialist
sympathizers. Their rebellion was met with brutal, outsized force from the British soldiers.
It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of Kenyans were detained and over 10,000 were
killed. Muthoni and her fellow freedom fighters were beaten, tortured, and imprisoned. During
the decade-long battle, Muthoni remained resolute in her commitment to the cause, becoming a symbol of resistance and an inspiration for others who sought liberation. She was an expert strategist and was given the nickname Weaverbird for her ability to outsmart the British troops.
SPEAKER_00: Muthoni was the only Mau Mau woman to be promoted to the high rank of Field Marshal. On December
12, 1963, Kenya gained independence from Britain. It wasn't until Muthoni saw the raised flag
of Kenya that she laid down her weapons. She and her husband were the last to do so. But
Muthoni was not satisfied with how the new administration treated the Mau Mau who had fought for liberation. Though the uprising ended in the early 1960s, Muthoni kept her
wartime dreadlocks for many decades. Many Mau Mau fighters grew their hair into locks
as a sign of protest against colonial rule. Muthoni stated she would not cut her dreadlocks
until the Kenya she fought for became a reality. On April 2, 2022, at 92 years old, Muthoni
allowed the wife of Kenya's first president to shave her six-foot-long dreads. The decision
to cut her hair was met with controversy. Many thought Muthoni was coerced into the
decision. But Muthoni denied these allegations. She said,
I needed to breathe new life. The dreadlocks reminded me of the struggle, persecution,
and punishment meted on me and my colleagues. A little over a year later, Muthoni died.
She was honored by the Kenyan government for her dedication to the freedom of the Kenyan people.
Today, she remains a symbol of Kenyan resistance and independence.
All month, we're talking about revolutionaries. For more information,
you can find us on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanaka Podcast. Special thanks to co-creators
Jenny and Liz Kaplan for having me as a guest host. Talk to you tomorrow.
