Thesis:

A biography of the late senior chief Kathuru Nyagah of Thagicu-Kitui county, Kenya, 1918-1998

The study of biographies of those personalities who have contributed in one way or the other in influencing history can be quite fascinating because it furthers our understanding of broader issues and processes in any given society. Such colonial chiefs included senior chief Waruhiu wa Kung’u, chief Musa Nyandusi, Odera Akong’o, Njiri wa Karanja and paramount chief Kinyanjui Gathirimu just to name a few. As I read through the literature on colonial chiefs, it occurred to me that there is no one who has written a biography on colonial chiefs in Thagicu District even though there were a few chiefs among them the likes of senior chief Kathuru Nyagah and chief Mwendwa wa Kitavi who played very important roles in shaping the destinies of their people. The mention of the name of senior chief Kathuru among the Thagicu rekindles memories of a leader who through collaboration with colonial officials played a significant role in improving the lives of Thagicu people. This thesis was an attempt to write the biography of the Late Senior Chief Kathuru Nyagah of Thagicu community. The Late was born around 1918 and passed away in 1998 having lived for a record of eighty years. He was first appointed a Headman in 1943 before being made a chief in 1947. He was an extremely rare type that was hard to come by during the colonial period. His loyalty in serving the colonial government was unquestionable. It is therefore no wonder that chief Kathuru was made the most powerful chief in Thagicu-Kitui District by being given the title of a Senior Chief. His popularity as well as his reputation suffered a great deal when he was carrying out his duties as a colonial chief. In other words, chief Kathuru acted as the cutting edge of the colonial sword and the result was that he quite often collided with his people. The brutal attempt to assassinate chief Kathuru showed and awakened the colonial officers in Kitui to the gravity of the Mau Mau activities in Thagicu-Kitui District. This thesis will add to the existing literature on colonial history by among other things examining the working of the colonial government in Thagicu-Kitui district during the colonial period. Likewise it is expected that this thesis fills important gaps which list on the available information on chief Kathuru which apart from being scanty is scattered in various documents. The result of this study will also raise the curiosity for further studies in the same field by future scholars who will use this work as a reference in their works.