Senior Chief Koinange wa Mbiyu had six wives and 34 children who are the backbone of a formidable lineage that is the Koinanges. Senior Chief Koinange wa Mbiyu of Kiambu was the patriarch of the Koinanges. Senior Chief Koinange’s dalliance with the colonial government saw him appointed headman in 1921 and Senior Chief 17 years later, before serving as an adviser on African affairs to the DC. He retired at the onset of the Mau Mau insurgency in 1949, but for advocating for Africans to grow coffee and fighting against land encroachment in Central Kenya, he was detained in 1952. Jeff Koinange: Renowned TV talk show host and son of Frederick Mbiyu Koinange and author of Koinange wa Mbiyu: Mau Mau Misunderstood Leader that was published in 2000.

Source: Standard Digital February 21, 2021 07:18 UTC