Waiyaki wa Hinga

Biography

Waiyaki wa Hinga was a paramount chief of the Kikuyu in the Dagoretti area during the tumultuous period of early European contact in Kenya. He initially welcomed the Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) and their representative Frederick Lugard, allowing the construction of a fort at Dagoretti in 1890. Waiyaki saw the British as potential trade partners and allies against rival communities. However, the relationship deteriorated rapidly as the British began seizing Kikuyu land, livestock, and food supplies. The IBEAC soldiers committed atrocities against Kikuyu villagers, and Waiyaki was forced to reconsider his alliance. He organized Kikuyu resistance and attacked the Dagoretti fort, burning it to the ground. In 1892, British officer Captain Eric Smith arrested Waiyaki under the guise of a peace negotiation, and he was deported to the coast. Waiyaki died en route, reportedly buried alive at Kibwezi, making him one of the earliest martyrs of Kenyan resistance to colonialism. His tragic fate became a rallying point for later Kikuyu political movements, including the Mau Mau.