The term “Tûkûnia” emerged prominently during the 2022 election campaigns in Central Kenya. Its origins date back to 1954, during the height of the Emergency period in Kenya.
In that era, “tûkûnia” referred to hooded informers employed by the colonial police to identify members of the Mau Mau movement. These informers, fearing retribution from the Mau Mau, covered their faces with sacks, known as “ngunia” or gunny bags. The word “Tûkûnia” is derived from the Kikuyu word for these sacks, reflecting the practice of these informers to conceal their identities to protect themselves. Essentially, “Tûkûnia” was used to describe individuals seen as sellouts or traitors to their community, a term that has persisted in the cultural memory and resurfaced in modern political discourse.
