Who was Chief Kinyanjui wa Gathirimu (c. 1893-1929) of the Kikuyu people of Kenya?

Chief Kinyanjui in the 1890's

The period in which Kinyanjui wa Gathirimu entered the history books is the 1890’s with his demise in 1929. This was in the territory of the now famous Chief Waiyaki wa Hinga. At the time, what became the British protectorate belonged to a company – The Imperial British East African Company (IBEA). From the early days of Swahili and Arab traders, Waiyaki’s Kihingo (fortified Village), was a sort of supermarket. Caravans stopped over to trade with the kikuyu near the later location of a fort . Fort Smith was established when it became imperative to protect caravans on the Uganda Road and later the Uganda Railway besides acquiring provisions for the long journeys to and from the coast. The fort was established by Eric Smith in 1891, after the earlier one at Dagoretti (Kiawariua) was abandoned by Wilson following continuous harassment. As soon as he left for Machakos, the fort was razed down by the Kikuyu.

Trading before the IBEA company

Before the administration of the IBEA was established at Kikuyu, traders announced their arrival by firing in the air. When the Warriors ascertained the party was a peaceful one, women would stream down with all manner of produce for sale. Several of the Swahili guides on the Uganda/Mombasa route became frequent buyers of ivory from the Kikuyu with one, Juma Kimemeta earning a notorious reputation. Others like Kijanja from Tanga and Juma Mussa could speak the Kikuyu language. It is likely that Kinyanjui who was a guide during at least one of punitive missions after Waiyaki had fallen out with the white men, had honed his guiding skills as a porter in the company of these men. Kinyanjui’s meteoric rise to prominence was actually linked to Waiyaki’s exit from power.

Origins of Kinyanjui

According to Prof. Mathu of the Institute of African Studies, University of Nairobi, Kinyanjui belonged to the initiation age set called ‘Njenga.’ Kinyanjui had been banished from his home area in Githunguri for some transgression which caused him to relocate to Southern Kikuyu. Muriuki gives his origin as Kandara. It is not clear at which point he joined Waiyaki’s company as a servant.

During Kinyanjui’s stay in Karura, he made a girl pregnant, an act that was considered ‘gross misconduct’ by the Kikuyu. Girls were expected to remain pure till their marriage day. Any girl who was unlucky enough to have a child out of wedlock would have to marry an old man who already had many other wives. The girl, whose name was Ngina belonged to the Mureithi family (Mbari ya Mureithi). Needless to say, the Mureithi family was extremely annoyed by Kinyanjui’s misdemeanour. In the view of the Mureithi’s, a propertied and well connected Kikuyu family, Kinyanjui as a servant of Waiyaki, was not fit to marry into their family. It would appear that matters cooled sufficiently for Kinyanjui to marry Ngina as his first wife. In his long ‘family career,’ Kinyanjui married over 50 wives, most of whom were ‘given’ to him in his honour as a chief in a custom a custom that mirrored the large harems of Shaka Zulu and even King Solomon.

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The rise of Kinyanjui from humble beginnings

In the trade caravans attached to the fort, one man stands out as the cause of Waiyaki’s problems, and the beginning of Kinyanjui’s rise. His name was Maktubu, a former slave from Malawi, who was frequently sent from Fort Smith to buy food from the Kikuyu. Maktubu was a seasoned and trusted servant who had served under several white men. The relationship between the fort and Waiyaki reached a point of no return when sometime in August 1892, Maktubu went to Githiga (Guruguru) with one Kamaru Wamagata, ostensibly to buy food. The real intention was however to claim Wamagata’s dowry. Apparently there was some resistance in the demand perhaps due to breach of protocol in the methods used to demand it. Kikuyu customs on dowry are observed with some decorum and two parties are expected to show respect to each other at all times. There is a saying that “ũthoni ndũrangarangagwo,”- one does not leave too many footprints at his in-laws. The use of arms the by hired marcenaries must have been an insult of the highest order for Wamagata’s in-laws. Maktubu who was known for a quick temper attempted to use force to recover the animals and a war cry was issued. In the ensuing melee, the small armed party was annihilated except for one survivor by the name of Abdulla bin Omar. The survivor ran off to report that they had been attacked by the kikuyu while ‘buying food.’

Purkis who was the administrator at Fort Smith at the time was not going to take the death of Maktubu lying down and a punitive expedition was planned. But when the xpedition arrived in the location of the culprits, there were no animals in sight. The people had driven off their cattle, sheep and goats into safe areas. Kinyanjui who was the guide in that expedition was dismayed as were his masters to learn from a captured woman that Waiyaki had warned his friends of the impending attack. It should be noted that all the parties in an expedition gained by sharing the booty recovered in the raids, a reward which increased their zeal to accomplish the mission. Waiyaki, fearing that his animals would also be targeted sent his two sons, Munywa and Githagui to hide them among his relatives. Read more on Chief Waiyaki wa Hinga died at Kibwezi on his way to deportation at the coast (https://kikuyucultureandhistory.blogspot.com/search?q=Waiyaki+wa+Hinga) . Thus, Kinyanjui became the beneficiary of Waiyaki’s misfortune.

When Waiyaki was exiled, Kinyanjui was imposed on the people as a Paramount Chief. The Kikuyu form of government did not have the position of a Paramount Chief. This was a creation of the colonial invaders but Kinyanjui was to perform his duties with uncharacteristic zeal. The circumstances under which this happened are not very clear, and it is quite likely that the Swahili traders who had worked with him in the caravans recommended him for the position to protect their interests. What is clear is that Kinyanjui did not disappoint his masters.

Kinyanjui as a Paramount Chief

According to Muriuki the Historian, Kinyanjui enriched himself by taking over other people’s land besides acting as the principle land dealer when settlers wanted to buy land in the area of his jurisdiction. But Prof. Mathu thinks otherwise. In his opinion, Kinyanjui was merely shrewed, having seen what had happened to Waiyaki and the futility of resisting the colonial masters with spears and poisoned arrows. If a white man, with the government’s approval wanted certain land in Kinyanjui’s jurisdiction, Kinyanjui got it for him. It was the only way to survive in the early days and those who thought otherwise paid with their lives.

It is no wonder then that Kinyanjui was submissive to a degree that perplexed even his British bosses. His compliance with official demand went further than expected. In one incidence, a settler was attacked when he went to investigate a sound in his cattle enclosure. he was hit with a club. Kinyanjui, as government’s representative among the Native population in that area was asked to apprehend the culprit. He was given seventy two hours to accomplish the feat, failure to which a government reprisal against the Kikuyu in his constituency would be imminent. Before the expiry of the deadline, Kinyanjui returned to Nairobi followed by a column of warriors who had been bound together with rope. After the ‘clubbing’ suspect had been handed over, the then Governor, Sir Eliot demanded to know who the other bound people were. Kinyanjui listed several crimes committed in the recent past as he pointed at the offender in each of the transgressions.

Kinyanjui and Karen Blixen

Kinyanjui lived nine miles from the Karen Blixen coffee farm which today is a suburb of Nairobi called Karen. The House of Karen Blixen is the Karen Blixen Museum, managed by the National Museums of Kenya. Kinyanjui was a friend and frequent visitor of Karen Blixen.

Karen gives an interesting account when Kinyanjui visited and found her in the company of a visitor. She offered him a drink so that he may wait for a while. Karen made a strong one, so that it should keep him busy for a while. The drink was whiskey, whose strength Kinyanjui underestimated. The man took it all in one gulp, perhaps in the manner of the Kikuyu liquor by the name muratina that was taken from a cow’s horn. Moments later Karen was called by her panicked workers who reported that Kinyanjui was dead. To see him lying there motionless and stone cold, Karen felt like one who had ‘shot an elephant.’ She frantically tried to get her car started so that she may take him to see a doctor but the car failed her that time. When she tried to send Farah for the doctor, Kinyanjui’s councilors begged her to wait a little longer. An hour later Karen was worrying about the ensuing scandal (of giving liquor to a Native, a crime of sorts) when her servants rushed to inform her that Kinyanjui had gone home. After being splashed with water several times, the Chief had come to and with the help of his servants and coucilors, walked home without as much as a word of goodbye to his host.

Kinyanjui had many children as would be expected of a polygamist. According to Prof. Mathu, he did not favour educating his children, and many did not attend school. The few who did were the tũmĩũkũ - children who for one reason or the other were not suitable for traditional chores like herding. One of these children was Christened David. The young man had been to the mission school. Perhaps he is the son who became his driver. During Karen Blixen’s time, Kinyanjui bought a car from the American counsul in Nairobi and drove to her house to show off. Karen records that he looked regal in a ‘monkey skin cloak’ and a skullcap that the Kikuyu made from a sheep’s stomach.

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Conclusion

Chief Kinyanjui wa Gathirimu’s life was a remarkable journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most influential figures in colonial-era Kenya. His rise to power, intertwined with the fall of Chief Waiyaki wa Hinga, marked a pivotal shift in Kikuyu leadership under British rule. Whether viewed as a shrewd survivor or a controversial collaborator, Kinyanjui’s legacy remains complex—shaped by his unwavering loyalty to colonial authorities, his vast polygamous household, and his encounters with figures like Karen Blixen.

For the full, detailed account of Chief Kinyanjui’s life, including untold stories and deeper historical insights, the complete article is available for purchase in PDF format bundled with four other personalities - Wangombe wa Ihura, Karuri wa Gakure, Waiyaki wa hinga and Wangu wa Makeri.  Discover the intricate politics, personal dramas, and colonial dynamics that defined this enigmatic leader’s reign.

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⚠️ Disclaimer

This article discusses Kikuyu colonial chiefs within the historical context of British rule in Kenya. Interpretations of these figures may vary across communities. The intention is to inform, not to judge, and to encourage respectful engagement with Kenya’s complex past. Readers are encouraged to explore multiple sources and form their own understanding.