Background
He was born into a prosperous farming family in Kaheti village, Mukurwe-ini division, Nyeri District in 1922.
He was born into a prosperous farming family in Kaheti village, Mukurwe-ini division, Nyeri District in 1922.
Itote enlisted in the British army in 1942, serving in the King"s African Rifles throughout Asia, firstly at Ceylon and then in the Burma Campaign. Whilst in Burma he was promoted to the rank of Corporal. Returning to Kenya, he became disillusioned with the lack of opportunities and became involved in urban politics and joined the Kenya African Union in 1946.
In the company of fellow ex-army comrades he dabbled in the criminal underworld as part of Nairobi"s Forty Group, to supplement his wages as a fireman.
In 1950, Itote took the oath, and subsequently became responsible for oathing and was an executioner of traitors. From here Itote began a wave of attacks on white settler farms in Nyeri and targeted loyalists to nearby villages.
He soon gained a reputation as a skilled commander with an ability to organise. Itote was captured by British troops on 15 January 1954.
He was represented at his trial by the prominent Asian lawyer Arkansas Kapila.
Itote was found guilty and sentenced to hang. However following a deal instigated by Ian Henderson, Itote agreed to cooperate with the government and negotiate an end to the uprising in return for his life. The cooperation of Itote led General Erskine to bring Operation Anvil to a close.
Detention and Later Itote was unable to bring about the surrender of his comrades, and so was placed in a detention camp in Lokitaung.
He was then taken under the wing of Kenyatta in his new government. In 1967 he published his autobiography, "" General (East African Publishing House), and in 1979 wrote in Action (Transafrica Books).
He served as the top officer of Kenya National Youth service with his headquarters at Ruaraka, Nairobi. He died of a stroke in 1993 at the age of 71.
At the time of his death he was running a farm near Ol Kalou in Kenya.