Muthoni Likimani facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Muthoni Likimani
Born	Muthoni Gachanja 1926 (age 98–99) Murang'a District, Kenya
Nationality	Kenyan
Occupation	Writer, broadcaster
Notable work	Passbook Number F. 47927: Women and Mau Mau in Kenya (1985)

Muthoni Gachanja Likimani (born 1926) is a famous Kenyan activist and writer. She has written many books, including stories, non-fiction, and books for children. Throughout her career, she has also been a broadcaster, an actress, a teacher, and a publisher. Muthoni Likimani was the first Kenyan beauty queen. She was also the first African woman to start a public relations company in Kenya. She is known as one of the country's earliest female authors.

Muthoni Likimani's Life Story

Early Life and Education

Muthoni Likimani was born in 1926 in Kahuhia Mission, Murang'a District, Kenya. Her parents were Mariuma Wanjiura and Rev. Levi GochanJa. Her father was one of the first Kenyan Anglican church ministers. Muthoni first taught at Kahuhia Teachers’ Training College. Later, she continued her studies in Britain and Israel.

Career in Media and Publishing

After her studies, Muthoni became involved in broadcasting and public relations. She was one of the first women producers at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. There, she worked on programs for women and children. She also worked as a freelance broadcaster for the BBC. Muthoni then started her own company called Noni's Publicity. This company handled public relations and also published books. One of the things they published was a magazine called Women of Kenya.

Her Important Books

Muthoni Likimani's first novel, They Shall Be Chastised, was published in 1974. She also released What Does a Man Want? in the same year. In 1985, her third and most important book came out. It was called Passbook Number F. 47927: Women and Mau Mau in Kenya. The title refers to her identity number during the Mau Mau struggle. This book is a fictional story. It shows the important roles women played during Kenya's fight for freedom. It also highlights the clever ways they managed their daily lives.

Public Service and Awards

In the 1980s, Muthoni Likimani became a city councillor in Nairobi. She held this position until the government changed the city council. Her autobiography, Fighting Without Ceasing, was published in 2005. In 2007, she received a special award from the World YWCA Council. This award recognized her strong leadership as a Women's Rights Activist. In 2014, she was named a Peace Ambassador in Kenya. This was for the International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace (IFLAC).

Personal Life

Muthoni Likimani is from the Kikuyu people. She married Dr. Jason Clement Likimani, who was from the Masai people. She met him when he worked as a Medical Officer of Health in Fort Hall (now Murang'a) District. Dr. Likimani was the only African doctor allowed to visit detention camps. He treated people who were held there. Muthoni would talk to people across the barbed wire fences. She would secretly carry letters in and out for the detainees' families. She became an unofficial letter carrier. Muthoni and Jason had four children together. Her husband passed away in 1989.

Selected Works

• They Shall Be Chastised. Nairobi: East African Literature Bureau, 1974.
• What Does a Man Want? Nairobi: Kenya Literature Bureau, 1974.
• Passbook Number F. 47927: Women and Mau Mau in Kenya. Basingstoke and London: Palgrave Macmillan, 1985.
• Women of Kenya: In the Decade of Development. Nairobi: Noni's Publicity, 1985.
• Fighting Without Ceasing, Nairobi: Noni's Publicity, 2005.