Rawson Macharia
Encyclopedia
Rawson Mbugua Macharia was the key prosecution witness at the trial of the Kapenguria Six
, Kenyan nationalists amongst whom Jomo Kenyatta
was prominent. Others were Bildad Kaggia
, Kung'u Karumba, Fred Kubai, Paul Ngei
, Achieng Oneko
.
The Six were arrested in 1952, and tried in 1952-53 for the offence of managing Mau Mau, then a proscribed society.
Macharia testified that in March 1950, he had taken one of the Mau Mau oaths at Kenyatta's hands. He further claimed that the oath-taking involved stripping naked and drinking human blood. Macharia's submissions were the only evidence of a direct link between Kenyatta and Mau Mau produced before the court. Mau Mau was proscribed in August 1950, so, even had the claims been true, it is unclear that they proved Kenyatta's membership, let alone management, of a proscribed organisation.
In 1958, Macharia swore an affidavit to the effect that he and six others had perjured themselves at the trial. The prosecution witnesses, he claimed, had been coached, and some of them were rewarded with plots of land at the Coast. He had himself been offered a university course in public administration at Exeter University College, protection for his family, and a government job on his return from the UK The affidavit was backed by a letter, apparently from the Attorney-General at the time of the trial, detailing the promised benefits (See the Time report).
The affidavit led to a trial at which it was conceded by the government that the witnesses had been coached (to better enable them to stand up to hostile cross-examination), that they had been paid (as compensation for loss of livelihood), and that Macharia had both lied at the trial and received the claimed benefits.
Macharia was later to write a book: The Truth about the Trial of Jomo Kenyatta.
Macharia died after being hit by a motorcycle while crossing Thika Road on December 5th 2008.
He was married to Edith Mwihaki, who died in 1999. His home village was Muthurumbi in Thika District
, near Gatundu
town. His home was located only five kilometres from Kenyatta's home .
Kapenguria Six
The Kapenguria Six - Bildad Kaggia, Kung'u Karumba, Jomo Kenyatta, Fred Kubai, Paul Ngei, and Achieng' Oneko - were six leading Kenyan nationalists who were arrested in 1952, tried at Kapenguria in 1952-3, and imprisoned thereafter in Northern Kenya....
, Kenyan nationalists amongst whom Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyattapron.] served as the first Prime Minister and President of Kenya. He is considered the founding father of the Kenyan nation....
was prominent. Others were Bildad Kaggia
Bildad Kaggia
Bildad Mwaganu Kaggia was a Kenyan nationalist, freedom-fighter, and politician.-Early life:Kaggia was born in 1922, at Dagoretti, now part of Nairobi, where his father had moved from his home district of Muranga District....
, Kung'u Karumba, Fred Kubai, Paul Ngei
Paul Ngei
The Honourable Paul Joseph Ngei was a Kenyan politician who was imprisoned for his role in the anti-colonial movement, but who went on to hold several government ministerial positions after Kenya became independent....
, Achieng Oneko
Achieng Oneko
Ramogi Achieng Oneko was a Kenyan freedom fighter and a politician. In Kenya, he is considered as a national hero.He was born in Tieng'a village in Uyoma sub-location in Bondo District in 1920 and educated at Maseno School.- Detention :...
.
The Six were arrested in 1952, and tried in 1952-53 for the offence of managing Mau Mau, then a proscribed society.
Macharia testified that in March 1950, he had taken one of the Mau Mau oaths at Kenyatta's hands. He further claimed that the oath-taking involved stripping naked and drinking human blood. Macharia's submissions were the only evidence of a direct link between Kenyatta and Mau Mau produced before the court. Mau Mau was proscribed in August 1950, so, even had the claims been true, it is unclear that they proved Kenyatta's membership, let alone management, of a proscribed organisation.
In 1958, Macharia swore an affidavit to the effect that he and six others had perjured themselves at the trial. The prosecution witnesses, he claimed, had been coached, and some of them were rewarded with plots of land at the Coast. He had himself been offered a university course in public administration at Exeter University College, protection for his family, and a government job on his return from the UK The affidavit was backed by a letter, apparently from the Attorney-General at the time of the trial, detailing the promised benefits (See the Time report).
The affidavit led to a trial at which it was conceded by the government that the witnesses had been coached (to better enable them to stand up to hostile cross-examination), that they had been paid (as compensation for loss of livelihood), and that Macharia had both lied at the trial and received the claimed benefits.
Macharia was later to write a book: The Truth about the Trial of Jomo Kenyatta.
Macharia died after being hit by a motorcycle while crossing Thika Road on December 5th 2008.
He was married to Edith Mwihaki, who died in 1999. His home village was Muthurumbi in Thika District
Thika District
Thika District is an administrative district in the Central Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Thika. The district is adjacent to the northeastern border of Nairobi. The district has a population of 645.713 ....
, near Gatundu
Gatundu
Gatundu is a small town in the Central Province of Kenya. Gatundu is also center of the Gatundu division in Thika District. Gatundu is located 15 kilometres west of Thika and 15 kilometres north of Kiambu. Gatundu and its environs has two constituencies: Gatundu North and Gatundu South.Gatundu...
town. His home was located only five kilometres from Kenyatta's home .