During the trial of Jomo Kenyatta, the colonial government was so short of evidence with which to convict Mzee Kenyatta. To solve this problem they turned to Rawson Macharia described as a "frail little shopkeeper" by Time Magazine.
Rawson Macharia as the main prosecution witness he testified that Mzee was his Mau Mau oath administrator. Macharia also gave descriptions of how the oathing process was.
Macharia explained in detail how they were made to drink blood naked, and how they made ritual movements on banana leaves.
As a reward for this false testimony and subsequent conviction of Mzee Kenyatta, the colonial government rewarded Rawson Macharia with a trip to England, and a scholarship to undertake a 2-year public administration course.
Six years later after Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was jailed, Macharia swore an affidavit. In the affidavit, he claimed that the colonial government had paid him to lie. He had been paid £1,500.
When the colonial government was challenged, they admitted that they paid Macharia, who like Mzee who was born in Gatundu, a retainer of £29 per month, but they insisted that the payment was for him to testify, not lie.
Reports say that upon independence, Jomo Kenyatta had no ill will against Macharia. Macharia led a quiet life until 2008 when he died.