Kubu Kubu

Who is Kubu Kubu?

General Kubu Kubu was the most venerated freedom hero within the Embu country. His name means "heavy thud" and was coined out of the thud his feet made because of his heavy build. His roots are still cloudy but Kubu Kubu is known to have lived in Kirimiri Forest Hill, in Mũkũũrî sub-location, in his life as a war leader.

Kubu Kubu was the de facto leader of the Mau Mau Uprising battalion within the Embu country. He was highly feared by locals and colonialists. Around 1954, colonialists tracked him down and lynched him near Muragari Primary School in Mukuuri. In 1987, former Runyenjes legislator Stanley Nyagah organised his people and built a modern boarding primary school in Kubu Kubu's memory where his body was set ablaze. A street and a shopping centre in Embu Town has also been named after him. Kirimiri forest is still there, and a vibrant market centre called Mukuuri has developed near its base. The forest is presently a popular rendezvous for revellers and also as a retreat centre.