PIO GAMA PINTO: THE ASSASSINATION OF A FREEDOM FIGHTER

Wednesday, 24th February 1965—gunshots shattered the air, cutting short the life of a fearless freedom fighter. The assassination of Pio Gama Pinto, a key figure in the fight for independence, would go down in history as Kenya’s second political killing after that of Mau Mau General Baimunge Marete which occurred on January 26, 1965. These political murders became a grim turning point in Kenya’s post-independence journey. It is impossible to discuss Kenya’s journey to independence without mentioning Pio Gama Pinto. His name stands alongside those of Jomo Kenyatta, Dedan Kimathi, Tom Mboya, Senior Chief Koinange wa Mbiyu, Oginga Odinga and other prominent figures who played pivotal roles in liberating Kenya from colonial rule. Pio was a freedom fighter, fearless journalist, a committed socialist, political tactician, politician, a pan-Africanist and a visionary leader. He made immense contribution to Kenya liberation and is clearly one of the founding fathers of the modern Kenyan state. Pinto was a key intermediary between the Mau Mau and other liberation movements. His close ties with Indian diplomats, including Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, allowed him to facilitate discreet but vital international support, including the airlifting of secret documents from Kipande House to India through the Diplomatic bag of the Indian High Commission. However, his activism made him a target. On April 24, 1954, during Operation Anvil, he was arrested for his pro-Mau Mau activities. Imprisoned without trial on Manda Island, he spent four years in detention alongside other hardcore Mau Mau detainees before being restricted in Kabarnet until 1959. Pinto remains the only Asian detainee arrested for Kenya’s independence struggle. Pinto played a vital role in trade unionism, working alongside figures such as Makhan Singh, Chege Kibachia, Fred Kubai, and Aggrey Minya. Together, they founded the East African Trade Union, laying the foundation for workers’ rights movements in Kenya. Pinto was also a fierce advocate for land reform. Born Antonio Rudolfo José Pio de Gama Pinto on March 31, 1927, in Nyeri, Kenya, Pinto was of Goan descent. This documentary also places his assassination in the Cold War geopolitical context. Indeed, Pio was shot less than a month after his American friend, Malcolm X, was also shot. #maumau #piogamapinto #malcomx #history #kenyan