On June 14, 1962, General China (Waruhiu Itote), a prominent Mau Mau fighter second only to Dedan Kimathi, was freed after the Kenyan government revoked his restriction order. Itote had previously served in the King’s African Rifles, been captured in 1954, sentenced to death (later commuted to life), and restricted under the 1959 Act of Grace. He had recently served a short jail term for illegal alcohol manufacture before returning to his home in Fort Hall (now Murang’a County).