Early Life
Kimathi was born in Thegenge Village Tetu division, Nyeri District. His father was polygamous and had 3 wives but he died before Kimathi was born. Kimathi was raised by his mother, Waibuthi. He had 2 brothers, Wambararia and Wagura, and 2 sisters. At the age of fifteen, he joined the local primary school, Karuna-ini, where he perfected his English skills. He would later use those language skills to write extensively before and during the Mau Mau uprising. He was a Debate Club member in his school and also showed special ability in poetry. He later joined Tumutumu CMS School for his secondary learning. Kimathi however baulked at any discipline or control, and was constantly in trouble with his teachers. As a result he drifted in and out of education, and never fulfilled his potential of a bright academic career.
In 1940, Kimathi enlisted in the British army, however he was discharged after one month for drunkenness and persistent violence against his fellow recruits. He then drifted from job to job, including working as a swineherd and a primary school teacher, for which he was dismissed after accusations of violence against his pupils.
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Famous quotes related to early life:
“... goodness is of a modest nature, easily discouraged, and when much elbowed in early life by unabashed vices, is apt to retire into extreme privacy, so that it is more easily believed in by those who construct a selfish old gentleman theoretically, than by those who form the narrower judgments based on his personal acquaintance.”
—George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)