How witchcraft earned chief Karuri riches, fear

The ravages of disease and famine during the late 19th and early 20th centuries threatened the very existence of the Agikuyu.

Doubtless, the coming of the Europeans with their powerful medicine and guns in the same period offered valuable reprieve and an ally against marauding Maasai tribesmen and an opportunity to amass wealth. The story of Karuri wa Gakure amply attests to this proposition.

Karuri was born in Kanorero Village in Iyego Location, Murang’a District. There are no records to confirm when Karuri was born but it is known that he was circumcised in 1869 (presumably at the age of 20) which would put his date of birth at 1849.

His father, Gakure, died while Karuri was still a young boy leaving him under the care of his mother Wangari. During this period, there was a severe famine and disease in Murang’a which forced residents to wander in search of food.

Karuri and his mother ended up in Mbeere, Embu where he learned the art of witchcraft from two famous practitioners. Returning to Murang’a later, Karuri displayed leadership qualities and his peers named him “Mutongoria” (leader), showing great bravery during interclan fighting.

When he reached marriageable age, he wed Nduta daughter of Kihia wa Kibe of Kanyenyaini, building her a home at Kigumo.

Using his witchcraft skills to subdue elephants, Karuri engaged in the ivory trade with Arabs who came inland up to Naivasha. In order to supplement his income and to gain power over his people, he teamed up with his maternal grandfather to practise traditional medicine even though he had not been apprenticed.

With proceeds of his ivory business he purchased the first batch of herbs from Githaiga wa Muya, Gikerumi of Karura and from the Ndorobo in the nearby forests. Eventually he was installed as a traditional medicine man in a big ceremony.

The practice of witchcraft made Karuri famous and feared both at home and in his travels. He managed to outwit Wang’ombe wa Ihura from Mathira, Ndiuni wa Murathimi from Tetu and Wambugu wa Mathangania from Nyeri.

Spreading his fame even further, Karuri agreed to give war medicine to the “mbutu cia ita” (warriors) of Karura in their perennial wars with the Naivasha Maasai, leading them into battle after applying the medicine that was supposed to make them invincible. Chief Wang’ombe who was allied to the Maasai of Nanyuki and Rumuruti was not happy with Karuri’s power and fame. Together with his Maasai allies he attacked Karuri when Karuri’s land was experiencing a famine.

In a tactical withdrawal, Karuri decided not to fight and moved his deflated troops to safe areas. Wang’ombe attacked the defenceless villagers, burning and looting, taking a great deal of booty. Returning a second time to finish off the job, he found Karuri well prepared. Karuri annihilated close to half of Wang’ombe’s fleeing men.

After the incident, Wang’ombe pleaded for peace and the two leaders performed a “peace ritual” vowing not to fight again. Following Karuri’s defeat of Chief Ndiuni and his brother Ngambi, all other chiefs feared him and caused no more trouble.

According to his letter dated June 10, 1894, Francis Hall who was in charge of Fort Smith at Kikuyu, Karuri visited the fort while selling his wares and was introduced by Kinyanjui wa Gathirimu. This was Karuri’s first encounter with a white man and he appears to have been very impressed.

It is claimed that Karuri asked Hall to establish a fort in Murang’a. As the railway reached Nairobi and beyond, Karuri, no doubt through the good offices of Hall, secured a contract to supply manual labourers to the railway.

In 1898, Karuri met the rogue trader John Boyes in his travels to Kikuyu and Naivasha. He offered Boyes land to settle in Murang’a where he set up his headquarters in Tuthu.

This was during yet another famine that plagued the land and Boyes was the only trader who could supply grain to the Mombasa caravan using his connections with Karuri.

In Boyes, Karuri saw an opportunity to consolidate his power and wealth using the advanced weaponry and medicine in Boyes’ possession.

Hall finally got his wish to establish a fort at Mbiri in Murang’a in 1900. The land on which the fort was built was given by Karuri and Hall appointed him Paramount Chief for his co-operation.

The station was named Mbiri but was renamed Fort Hall by the colonial government after Hall’s death in 1901. Today it is known as Murang’a. Karuri became even more powerful collecting taxes on behalf of the government. He also made friends with the murderous Meinertzhagen.

During 1902, the coronation of King Edward VII celebration was held in Nairobi for all his subjects in East Africa. The Consolata Fathers had just arrived in Nairobi from Turin on the newly completed Uganda Railway.

Karuri, now being one of the Kings’ subjects, was also in Nairobi and overheard the Fathers’ intention to evangelise the Kikuyu. He immediately offered them safe passage to Murang’a and on arrival gave them land on which to build their mission station at Tuthu.

The Fathers described Karuri as “a sagacious man of keen insight who had already argued that with the arrival of Europeans, his country would undergo great change”.

On January 14, 1916 Paramount Chief Karuri was baptised taking the name Joseph while his wife Wanjiru (the only one recognised by the church out of 40) took the name Consolata in a ceremony which included a Christian wedding. Karuri died in May 1916 of suspected food poisoning.

Paramount chiefs presided over the downfall of traditional Kikuyu government through greed for power and wealth.

Once the traditional leaders had been compromised, it was easy for the colonial administration to assume control and take more land. As the saying goes, once you allow a camel to put its head in your tent, you are done.