Kubu Kubu

General Kubu Kubu
Born	Njagi Wa Ikutha 1920 Embu District, Eastern Province, Kenya
Died	September 1956
Cause of death	Lynching
Resting place	Muragari
Citizenship	Kenyan
Occupation	Freedom Fighter
Organization	Kenya Land and Freedom Army
Known for	General during the Mau Mau Uprising
Successor	General Kavote

Kubu Kubu (or Kubukubu), born Njagi wa Ikutha,(1920-1956) was an Embu Mau Mau leader and general. His nom de guerre, Kubu Kubu, means "heavy thud" in Kîembu, referencing to the thud his feet made due to his heavy build.

He was the de facto Mau Mau military leader in the Embu county, and an important leader nationally, alongside Dedan Kimathi, Musa Mwariama, and Waruhiu Itote.

Kubu Kubu was revered among the Embu for defending their territory from British rule, leading the community for more than ten years, and repulsing colonial settlers from the southern Kenyan highlands.

Early life

Njagi wa Ikutha was born sometime in the late 1920s in a heavily forested area in Mukuuri, close to the current site of the Kubu Kubu Memorial Boarding Primary School, Embu County. Like many families from the colonial-era Mukuuri Native Reserve, Njagi's family later settled in the Kianjokoma area after independence. During his time as Embu's independence war leader in 1950's, General Kubu Kubu lived in Kirimiri forest Hill, in Mukuuri sub location. He spent days and nights leading victorious rampages on colonial outposts. Through Kubu Kubu's leadership, the caves perched on top of Kirimiri hill became the fighters planning point from where they could see the entire of Embu county. In case of ana attack, they could light a fire and smoke which would be seen bellowing on top of the hill to act as a warning that the enemy was within. Kubu Kubu was revered by people across Embu and feared by the colonialists. He successfully led the community for more than ten years in defending their land, and families from colonial aggression. In fact, while colonial settlers carved out african lands across the Kenyan highlands for themselves, they were repulsed by the Embu. He also successfully raided colonial outposts in Embu and collected guns that were distributed to the fighters. Kubu kubu however allowed schools to operate. Thus many old schools in Embu, including Kangaru, Kigari and Muragari still operated as the freedom war was fought. Around 1955, a breakaway group of Kikuyu and Meru Mau Mau fighters betrayed their Embu counterparts and stole their guns. The Embu fighters were forced to use the remaining guns, Pangas and other crude weapons to fight the colonialists. In his book, "Mau Mau", General Itote writes how Kubu Kubu ordered that traitors must be dealt with ruthlessly. He told Kimathi that not even women and children would be spared if they were found to be colonial collaborators. At this point a trap was hatched to capture the General. A colonial informer lured the Embu fighters with a promise to assist them to get Pangas and other weapons. Kubu Kubu as their leader, led them to pick the weapons at a place called Itundu near Runyenjes Town, where upon arrival, colonialists shot his leg and arrested him. He was frog marched through Mukuuri and Kathande villages where all women were ordered to collect firewood which was to be used to burn his body. Colonialists then lynched him near Muragari primary school. He was not interred conventionally as colonialists made a huge pyre and set his body on fire which was against Embu traditional customs. They forced women and children to watch as the body got up in flames. They also humiliated women by forcing them to clap their hands while watching the entire unfortunate incident. According to Mukami Njue, "The colonialists did not want a case where his spirit would be born in the form of another human being in Embu since his strength was just out of this world," says Mukami.

Legacy

In 1987, former Embu North Constituency (later split into Runyenjes and Manyatta) legislator Stanley Nyagah built a modern boarding primary school in Kubu Kubu's memory, where his body was burned in 1955.

A street and a shopping center in Embu Town, as well as a road in Nyeri Town and a main street in Runyenjes Town have also been named after him.

Itote widely mentions Kubu Kubu in his 1967 autobiography, "Mau Mau" General (East African Publishing House).