JM Desai, nationalist who stayed the course to Kenya’s freedom struggle

 

Jasbhai Motibhai Desai, once described by UK’s Sunday Times as ‘freedom fighter extraordinary’, was one of the few Indians who dedicated their lives to the struggle for Kenya’s independence. In the words of politician John Keen, “At a time when Africans were pariahs in their own country, Desai became more native than Africans themselves.”

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in a tribute to Desai said, “Desai was the first man to seek openly the freedom of Africans, a call which was later taken up by the late Mzee Kenyatta when he returned from abroad.”

Born in Gujarat State in India in 1905, JM Desai moved to Africa in 1925 after his father and brother were killed by a plague. He first settled in Uganda, then Zanzibar and finally Kenya in 1936. He became a successful businessman investing in insurance, and publishing, among many other businesses. He used most of the profit to support the struggle against colonialism. He recalled how he always supplied money, medicine and clothes to Mau Mau freedom fighters who arrived destitute at his home.

His house in Parklands Second Avenue provided a safe meeting place and accommodation for the nationalists. It was sort of an “open house” where no one ever knew how many people would turn up for lunch.

Odinga recalled how in 1944, while serving as a teacher at Maseno, he would visit Nairobi and stay with Desai who taught him politics, while Mwai Kibaki recalled how as teenagers they would travel to Nairobi to catch a glimpse of Jomo Kenyatta at Desai’s house.

Fight against colonialism

Desai’s determination for an equal society brought him in close contact with other nationalists who were at the forefront in the fight against colonialism. Through Chief Koinange, he came to know Jomo Kenyatta in 1946. “He came to my office and we became instant friends,” Desai recalled his first meeting with Kenyatta. The two men would eat njahi at Kenyatta’s home or get together in Desai’s home.

His house also played host to prominent Africans who were leading the fight for freedom in their countries. A visitor’s book kept by his grandson Sandeep Desai shows Kenneth Kaunda, who later became Zambia’s first president, visited on January 10, 1961, alongside Joshua Nkomo who later became Zimbabwe’s vice-president. Indira Gandhi, who later became India’s first and only female prime minister, also visited in 1961.

When the state of emergency was declared in 1952, JM Desai was among those targeted as the colonial government launched a crackdown on freedom fighters and their sympathisers. “They tapped my telephone, censored my letters, watched and followed me throughout the emergency.

This vindictiveness was extended to his businesses. “Talks started that I was a Mau Mau. In October 1953, I lost all businesses,” he said during an interview conducted before his death in 1991.

All British insurance companies delinked their agencies with Desai’s and all schools were ordered to boycott GR Stephens and Co, the biggest tailoring contractor for school uniforms owned by Desai. This resulted in him accumulating a debt of Sh690,000, a staggering amount at that time. Bogged down by the financial burden, he withdrew his children from schools in Britain and returned them to Kenya.

Liberation struggle

Despite the onslaught, Desai continued to support the liberation struggle and to associate with freedom fighters. On many occasions, colonial police officers with guns on the ready broke into his house to arrest freedom fighters who had sought refuge there. It was in his house that KAU executive director Babu Kamau was arrested after dodging a police dragnet for 10 days.

The home also hosted radical British MPs, lawyers and activists who were sympathetic to African causes. In his autobiography, The Defence Accuses, D.N Pritt, the British lawyer, who represented the Kapenguria six during their trial narrated how on many occasions hotels in Nairobi refused to receive him, “So I had to stay with friends, and in particular with a friendly and courageous Indian merchant, Mr JM Desai,” he wrote and continued, “Once whilst I was staying with him, the police searched his house twice, to see if they could find anything against me.”

Another incident involved two British MPs Fenner Brockway and Leslie Hale. Before heading to Desai’s home where they were to be accommodated, a group of journalists at Nairobi airport warned them that they were likely to be killed because of their anti-colonial views. That night a phone call was made to Desai’s home warning that a crowd of white settlers was already on its way to storm the home.

The wind of change that was sweeping across Africa in the late 1950s, ignited the call for the release of all political prisoners and the end to the State of Emergency. On June 26, 1958, a debate on a motion calling for an independent inquiry into conditions at Lokitaung where five of the Kapenguria six were detained, ended on a dramatic note when Jaramogi Oginga described the detainees as the political leaders of Africans.  “Even at this very moment in the hearts of Africans, they are still the political leaders,” he added.

The Kapenguria six had been detained on allegations of being the leaders of Mau Mau, which had been labelled as a terrorist organisation, and supporting them was seen as supporting terrorism. Many African members of the LegCo, among the Bernard Mate, Tom Mboya, Jeremiah Nyagah, and Kiano were quick to distance themselves from Odinga’s remarks.

Legitimate rights

Mate while criticising Odinga referred to the political careers of the Kapenguria six as “floundered like ships in a sea”, pointing out that the legitimate rights of the African people should not be confused with subversive activities.

Mboya, challenged by Group-Captain Briggs to declare his stand on Odinga’s remarks, said he agreed that some unconsidered remarks had been made by Odinga during the debate, and went on to distance himself from them by referring to a speech he had made on May 20, in which he said the African members condemned violence.

The Chief Secretary, Mr W.F Coutts, responding on behalf of the colonial government said he found Odinga’s statement almost incredible. According to him, even though the Kapenguria six had been political leaders at the time of their arrest, they could no longer be considered so since they had been found guilty of running a society that was responsible for the deaths thousands of innocent people.

That night Odinga couldn’t sleep for he believed his house would be raided by the colonial police on claims that he was a Mau Mau sympathiser. It was Desai who came to his rescue by picking him up in the middle of the night and driving him to his house in Parklands. As Odinga would later reveal, that night Desai told him, “Jaramogi . I know that many people will say that you made a mistake but I am telling you that you said exactly what should be told to this people. You should never actually withdraw, what you say is the thing which should be said to this people.” One month later, Desai came to the rescue of Argwings Kodhek as the colonial government heightened its onslaught against those who were perceived as radical nationalists. This was after the Commissioner of Income tax brought a civil case against Kodhek for failing to pay taxes totalling Sh5,261.7. As a result, the judge gave Kodhek seven days to pay the money failure to which he was to be imprisoned.

Mr D.W Conroy, the Attorney-General, was so confident about Kodhek being imprisoned that he wrote to the colonial office in London: “I think it is unlikely that Argwings Kodhek will be able to raise sums of this magnitude in seven days because he is known to be insolvent. In the circumstances it would appear likely that he will serve the full term of imprisonment.”

Kodhek, however, managed to raise the money in just three days much to the surprise of colonial officials. “We are surprised that Argwings Kodhek was able to raise a sum of more that £5,000 to satisfy his judgement creditors, and I should be grateful if you would inform us whether the source of the money is known,” wrote G.J. Ellerton PS for Defence to the Director of Intelligence and Security Mr M.C Manby.

Lifting emergency restrictions

In his response, Manby said that apart from a few hundred shillings from Mboya and Odinga and Sh1,000 from the Luo Union, the rest of the money came from Desai. That is how generous and committed.

In 1960, when the colonial government began lifting emergency restrictions and allowed visits to political detainees, Desai singlehandedly organised for the African members of the LegCo to travel to Lodwar and later Maralal to visit Kenyatta. On the eve of their journey to London to attend the Lancaster Conference, all leaders from Kadu and Kanu met in Desai’s home to develop a strategy. His advice to them was, “Leave your differences at home. Present a united front. You can thrash out your differences when you come back.”

Desai died as a result of kidney failure on January 11,1961, in London, where he had gone to seek treatment. His remains were cremated at Kariokor and ashes scattered over the Chania River.

Today Desai’s home that once stood as a symbol of the struggle against colonialism, is on the verge of destruction due to a dispute involving his grandchildren who inherited the property and a private developer. While some grandchildren wanted the property sold off and the proceeds shared, others resisted citing historical significance of the property. Those who wanted the property sold went on to sell their shares to an investor, resulting in the current situation.

Sandeep Desai, who wants his grandparents’ home preserved told the Sunday Nation, “Their (grandparents) memory must be preserved as an example of their unwavering commitment towards the best interests of the peoples of Kenya and their liberation.”

The writer is a London-based Kenyan journalist and researcher.