Following Kenya’s colonisation, a wave of systemic oppression emerged. Africans were displaced from their land and resettled in less fertile regions, taxes were introduced which forced people to work for Europeans in order to remit these payments, and degrading treatment of African labourers led to protests that resulted in bloodshed. This catalysed the emergence of organised uprisings in the form of political parties in protest for freedom. However, involvement in the political arena excluded participation of African women.  

One of the first political parties established in Kenya was the East Africa Association, later renamed the Young Kikuyu Association. Founded by Harry Thuku in 1921, this party agitated for improved treatment of Africans working on European farms. Despite one of the key issues the party aimed to address being the sexual harassment of women working on coffee plantations, leadership of this party was exclusively male, and women were confined to cooking and cleaning roles. One of the women who had witnessed and experienced these issues was Wambui Wangarama.  Born around 1905 in Kiambu, she had endured brutal treatment at the hands of Europeans while working on the construction of roads, and afterwards as a coffee picker.  

 

The Fight Against the Patriarchy 

In 1922, when Harry Thuku’s activism led to his arrest and the ban of his political party, over 8000 people, most of whom were women, gathered outside the Central Police Station to demand his release. When a confrontation ensued, the police opened fire and one of the people killed was Muthoni Nyanjiru. Wambui was not present at the protests that day, but word of Muthoni’s heroism reached her all the way in Kiambu. Muthoni’s act of heroism became a beacon for Wambui and many other women, emboldening them mount their own acts of defiance. In the coffee plantation where she worked, Wambui began orchestrating work stoppages to protest poor treatment and lack of pay. Wambui and the other women would even go as far as lifting their clothes to bare and scratch their behinds at the sight of Europeans, a cultural practice that signified pure contempt.   

In 1924, Kikuyu Central Association was established to continue in the mandate of its predecessors. More and more women including Wambui tried to join the party leadership but were continually only offered supportive roles. After multiple failed requests, Wambui Wangarama led the women in breaking away from KCA in 1930 and establishing a party of their own. The new political party was called Mumbi Central Association, the name Mumbi being in reference to the mythical mother of the Kikuyu people. This became the first women’s political organisation in Kenya.  

 

Mumbi Central Association: Pioneering Kenya’s First Women’s Political Organisation 

While the association worked in tandem with KCA, MCA also worked to address gaps that men overlooked. These women were not only fighting for independence, but they were also fighting the patriarchal structures that marginalised African women. They wanted the government to put an end to forced labour that led to the sexual assault of women working in plantations, and for  formal education to be extended to women. They composed protest music to praise freedom fighters for their sacrifices, songs that unified people in the struggle. One song in particular, Kanyegenyuri, was exclusively sung by women about female heroes like Muthoni Nyanjiru, and became an anthem of resistance. The influence of the MCA could not be denied and in 1933, KCA finally changed its sexist policy to welcome women into leadership roles, thus reincorporating Mumbi Central Association back into the party.  

As the struggle for independence intensified, Wambui began administering Mau Mau oaths to women that bound them to their cause of fighting for independence. After the declaration of the State of Emergency on 20th October 1952, Wambui was among the freedom fighters arrested and detained for her activism. Even this incarceration could not quell her, because after her release in 1955, she rejoined the liberation struggle by becoming a member of a new uprising called Kiama kia Muingi (Council of the Masses) also known as Kiama Hathara. This underground insurgence group comprising of ex-detainees was established to continue agitating for land and exact revenge on African loyalists. Wambui was arrested once more in connection to this group in 1956 but was released a year later.  

 

Beyond Independence  

Wambui’s activism continued in earnest until Kenya’s independence in 1963.  In the post-independence years, Wambui continued her political work, serving in the Kenya African National Union, the majority political party, as the chairperson of women’s affairs. She worked in this position until 1980 when she retired from active political work.  

In the annals of Kenya’s history, Wambui Wangarama’s indomitable spirit and tireless commitment to the cause of freedom have left an enduring legacy. Her journey from the coffee plantations to the forefront of political activism stands as a testament to the resilience of women in the face of systemic oppression. Her activism extends beyond the fight against colonialism and the patriarchy; it encapsulates the ongoing pursuit of equal opportunities for women in both colonial and post-colonial contexts.  

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