Google Honors Kenyan Freedom Fighter Mekatilili wa Menza with Doodle

Iconic Kenyan female freedom fighter Mekatilili wa Menza was on Sunday honored by Google, using a doodle.

The US search engine company put a special doodle on its homepage in Kenya to celebrate the life and achievements of Mekatilili.

A Doodle is a temporary alteration of Google’s logo on its homepage intended to honor holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures.

Mekatilili was one of the pioneer freedom fighters in Kenya who led members of the Giriama community to resist colonial rule in the early 20th century at a time when women’s in power was limited in her society.

Google’s Head of Communications and Public Affairs in Kenya Dorothy Ooko said: “She [Mekatilili] had a heart that was full of passion. Passion for freedom. Freedom against the oppressors of her people. We remember that her resistance quest led to her imprisonment in a far land in Western Kenya and that she had to walk 965 kilometers to get back to her land after escaping from the prison.” 

Mekatilili was born in Matsara wa Tsatsu in coastal Kenya in the mid-19th century.

Other Kenyans who have previously been feted with a doodle are Margaret Ogola who was a doctor and author, Wangari Mathai, a Nobel Laureate winner, and Kimani Maruge who was the oldest Kenyan student.