Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi Waciuri (Kimathi wa Waciuri), (31 October 1920 – 18 February 1957) was a leader of Mau Mau, who fought against the British colonial government in Kenya in the 1950s. Dedan Kimathi is widely recognised by many as a Mau Mau hero. He was convicted and executed in 1957 for alleged murder and terrorism in a trial that cannot be considered to have been free or fair. It was customary for the British to execute Africans especially Kikuyus on the flimsiest excuse.

Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi Waciuri was the head of the Mau Mau, a militant group that waged a guerrilla war against the British colonial government in Kenya. Kenya's independence from British rule is largely attributed to the spirited fight the Mau Mau put up under the stewardship of Dedan Kimathi. The Mau Mau began as the Land and Freedom Army, a militant Kikuyu army out to reclaim their land that had been stripped from them by the colonialists. As its influence and membership widened it became a major threat to the colonialists. The Mau Mau movement sprung from Central kenya, home of the populous Kikuyu community. The movement, eventhough heavily Kikuyu, enjoyed nationwide support as it forced the colonialists to pay attention to Kenyan demands. Dedan Kimathi inspired Nelson Mandela in his fight against apartheid and was an inspirational figure for many freedom movements in Africa and around the world.