of his right hand. Th
e 1964 Kikuyu-English Dictionary bore Benson’s
name on the title page, but it drew very largely on what Barlow, the
Beechers, and a group of Kikuyu teachers and linguists had done over
sixty years of language work.
1 Edinburgh University Library Gen. 1785/1: T. G. Benson to Beecher, 18 May 1956.
editorial note
133
Notes
In our notes we refer to these three sources as ‘Barlow’ and fi le number,
Beechers, and Benson respectively. It should be noted that some Barlow
papers on translation are held in the Kenya National Archives. Th
ese
are prefi xed in the footnotes with ‘KNA’.
Muoria’s Gikuyu
Th
ere were at least fi ve orthographies in which Henry Muoria, writing
in the mid-1940s, might have composed these pamphlets. Since the
1910s Protestant missionaries had written Gikuyu with seven vowels,
marking the letters ‘i’ and ‘u’ with diacritics to indicate vowel sounds
that were not native to the English language. Catholic missionaries had
devised a competing orthography, in which the fi ve English vowels were
thought suffi
cient to signify a range of Gikuyu sounds. Linguists from
the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures had in
1930s devised a phonetic orthography for Gikuyu, which employed
exotic Greek letters. Th
e Kenya African Teachers Union in 1939 recom-
mended that Gikuyu ought to be written using the Protestant orthogra-
phy, but without the troublesome diacritics.2 And Jomo Kenyatta, the
subject of two of Muoria’s pamphlets, had worked with linguist Lilias
Armstrong on the production of her 1940 book Th
e Phonetic and Tonal
Structure of Kikuyu. Aft er his return from London, he favoured the
use of a modifi ed phonetic alphabet for Gikuyu.3 In two of the pam-
phlets printed here, ‘Th
e Homecoming of our Great Hero’ and ‘Jomo
Kenyatta is our Reconciler’, Muoria followed KATU’s comparatively
simple spelling system. But in the fi rst pamphlet, ‘What Should we
Do?’, Muoria followed the ‘Protestant’ system, using diacritics to mark
Gikuyu vowels. He would have learned Protestant spelling in his youth,
when he studied at Harry Leakey’s mission at Kabete. Our Gikuyu texts
reproduce these two diff erent orthographies accordingly.
2 Kenya National Archives MSS (BS) 1/4: KATU, ‘Kikuyu Orthography Recom-
mendations’, n.d. (but 1939).
3 National Museum of Kenya, Beecher papers, fi le 12: ‘Minutes of a meeting held in Nairobi to discuss Kikuyu Orthography’, 18 August 1947.
134
editorial note
Gender and Gikuyu language
Personal pronouns in the Gikuyu language are not gendered. Th
e
anonymous characters whom Muoria conjured up in these pamphlets
might therefore be either male or female. In his English translations of
the two texts concerning Jomo Kenyatta, Muoria always rendered the
anonymous personal pronouns as ‘he’. We have followed his lead in our
translation of ‘What Should we Do, My People?’ but note, in footnote
43 to that pamphlet, where he had doubts about his inclusive use of the
masculine pronoun when translating his text into English in London.
Was this doubt perhaps prompted by his wife Ruth Nuna?
Editorial interventions
In the English translations of the second and third pamphlets some
passages and sub-headings will be found in italics. Th
ese italicised
passages represent the additions and clarifi cations that Henry Muoria
himself made when translating his texts in London, many years later,
preparatory to presenting them to a British, Anglophone, audience—an
ambition that we are now delighted to help bring to fruition. We fi nd it
entirely admirable that so many years aft er the event he was still intent
on making his much-misunderstood people intelligible to the British
who had, in his view, wrought such ill-informed harm on those whom
he regarded as his family—as indicated in the title of his fi rst pamphlet.
While the italics represent Muoria’s second thoughts, words in square
brackets represent our own insertions, the better to recover the sense
in English that we believe he intended in Gikuyu.
Th
e Gikuyu texts of all three pamphlets are imperfect in their type, and
in several places the text is therefore unintelligible. We have marked pas-
sages of this sort with question marks, enclosed in square brackets.
Archival Sources
Archival Sources are as follows:
BNA British National Archives, Kew, London (Africanists cannot
adopt the normal usage, TNA for ‘Th
e National Archives’, a
replacement for Public Record Offi
ce or PRO, since the Tanzania
National Archives were the fi rst to use TNA).
editorial note
135
KNA Kenya National Archives, Nairobi.
NMK National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi.
PCEA Presbyterian Church of East Africa Archives, Nairobi.
Index
Th
e index refers to the introductory essays and to the English language
translations of Muoria’s pamphlets. Readers of the Gikuyu text should
refer to the page immediately preceding the page number listed in the
index.
John Lonsdale
Trinity College
Derek Peterson
Selwyn College
Cambridge
June 2008
TUNGIKA ATIA IIYA WITU?
‘Guthii na mbere ni gukinyukia haria ukinyite, na guthii na mbere
meciria-ini, ni kumenya undu utaroi, no ungirega gwitikia, witue kime-
nyi, ndungiteithika. Ugutura o handu hamwe, urugamite uthiururukaga,
urugarugaga, nawe wiirage uthiite na mbere muno’.
Kumenyithania Uhoro wa Ibuku Riri
Ũhoro ũria mwandike Ibuku-ini rĩrĩ, wandĩkĩirũo andũ agima, arĩa
meciragia tũngĩgunwo nikii. Namo ni maũndũ maingi, maria materete
thiini wario.
No mothe me kwaria ũhoro wa ũria maũndũ matarii riu, na ũria
magiriirũo ni gũtuika nigetha andũ magunike.
Andũ aingi matiiciragia wega, tondũ hihi amwe mahota gwiciria ati
mwandiki andikite ibuku riri, ni getha atonge kana agie na mbia iria
ihangũkitie andũ aingi mũno, makiugaga ati nocio mũthia wa maũndũ
mothe.
Ningi angi mahota gwiciria ati riandikitwo niguo mwandiki agie
ngumo. No ũrĩa mwandiki angienda kũmenyithia andũ arĩa meciria
mao matarii ũguo ni ũũ:
Ati mwandiki niendete andũ arĩa angĩ mũno, na niakenagio mũno nĩ
maũndũ maria mega, na manene, hindi ĩrĩa marekwo ni andũ airũ.
Tondũ ũcio andikite ibuku rĩrĩ ena ngoro ya kwenda gũteithia andũ
makĩrie gwika maũndũ macio narua. Nigetha bũrũri warahũke, na andũ
maiyũrũo ni gikeno na hinya mĩĩrĩ yao na matonge ona magoce Ngai.
Na nĩkĩo ateretete maũndũ macio mothe.
Ningĩ angĩ hihi mahota kũria kũria nwandĩki athomeire. Nao acio no
amere ati mwandiki nĩwe withomithitie, na ena marũa ma ũir
a wakuo-
nania ati meciria make nĩ magima harĩ andũ arĩa agima magitarũo thĩ
yothe handũ yarũma.
Na andũ acio mamũheire marũa macio marutanaga ũũ:
CHAPTER FOUR
WHAT SHOULD WE DO, OUR PEOPLE? 1
To move forward is to step out from where you are standing. To move
ahead mentally is to know something you had not previously known. If
you refuse to believe [that] and make yourself a know-it-all, you can-
not be helped. You will remain in the same place, stand, circle around,
jump about and deceive yourself that you are moving ahead.2
About the book
Th
is book is addressed to adults3 who are concerned about what we
can do to help ourselves. It discusses many issues.
Th
e book is concerned with the present and what should be done to
help the people. Some ill-wishers may think the writer has written it to
earn money and get rich. Very many people are misled into thinking
that money is the means to every goal.
Others may think the book is written to make the writer famous.
Th
e writer would like to tell those who think this way that: He loves
other people very much, and welcomes the many good and great things
done by black people.
He has therefore written the book in order to help people do the
following as quickly as possible: to awaken the country, to fi ll people
with happiness and strength, and to make them rich and praise God.
Th
at is why he has raised these issues.
Other people may ask where the writer was educated. To these, he
would reply that he is self-educated, and he has certifi cates to testify
that he is of sound mind like other adults the world over.4
Th
e people who awarded him this certifi cate teach that it is up to
the individual to mature5 in his mind and body so that he can help
himself, his family, and other people wherever they are.
Th
at is why the writer has already helped himself and continues to
help his family. Th
e debt he wants to pay now, as he writes this book,
is to help others.
138
chapter four
Atĩ nĩ igũrũ rĩa mũndũ we mwene, gwĩtua mũgima meciria-ini, na
mwĩrĩ-ini, nigetha ahote gwĩteithia we mwene na andũ ake, na andũ
othe harĩa marũma.
Tondũ ũcio-rĩ, mwandĩki nĩarikĩtie gwĩteithia, na no areteithia andũ
ake. Na rĩu thirĩ ũria ekwenda kũriha, akĩandĩka Ibuku rĩrĩ, nĩ ũcio wa
gũteithia andũ arĩa angi.
Tondũ ũcio nĩ wega ũthome Ibuku rĩrĩ ũkĩmenyaga atĩ rĩandikitwo
na ngoro ya gũteithania. No gũteithania ti kũharagania nĩ gũcokanĩrĩria,
gũthũrana nĩ kũharagania na kwendana nĩ gũcokanĩrĩria.
HENRY MUORIA.
Kirangari, 4th January 1945.
1. Kĩrĩro kĩa Mwandĩki
Ndĩna kĩeha kĩnene,
Na tha nacio nĩ nene,
Ṇgoria rĩrĩa maũndũ manene,
Magekwo nĩ ciana cia Mũmbi nacio inenehe.
Ĩni mangĩtĩkĩra acio ciana cia Mũmbi,
Gwĩka ũrĩa meciria ma mugĩ,
Wa maũndũ maya mega ma ũguni,
Ekuona na agatangĩkĩra matwĩke ameki.
Hiũha mũrũ wa maitũ;
Th
ũ nĩ weno ũka na rũhiũ;
Ũrimũ nothĩni nĩ ininwo na ithecwo na itimũ,
Na itwarũo igathikwo ngurunga-ini ya Rũirũ.
Ĩra atumia moige ngemi,
Amu nĩ tũrokeirũo nĩ mũgeni,
Ũgĩ wa gũtuonereria njĩra ya ũguni,
Okınya mũciĩ wao wa gĩkeno tũtwĩke ageni.
He kĩrĩma kĩnene kĩa mahiga,
Naruo rũnyanjara nĩ rwa hinya,
Rũtingihaicĩka no hũthũ tiga ona hinya,
Mwĩyohei mĩthiori mũrute wĩra na hinya.
Igũta nĩ thũ na nĩ njĩhia.
Ciagĩrĩirũo nĩ kũninwo itige kwĩhia,
what should we do, our people?
139
With this in mind, it is good that you read this book knowing it is
written in the spirit of helping ourselves.6 To help each other is not to
disperse7 but to return together; to hate each other is to scatter in all
directions, and to love each other is to join together.
HENRY MUORIA.
Kirangari, 4th January 1945.
1. Th
e Writer’s Lament 8
I am very sorrowful
And full of compassion.9
I ask when great things
Will be done by the children of Mumbi to make them grow.
Yes, if only the children of Mumbi were to agree10
To carry out what the mind of someone
Who knows about good and useful things
Sees, and concerns himself with how to perform them.
Hurry up, my brother.11
Here is the enemy, come with a machete.
Eliminate ignorance12 and poverty and stab them with a spear.
Take them for burial to the Ruiru caves.13
Tell women to ululate14
For a visitor has come amongst us.
Wisdom15 to show us the way to helpfulness
So that we become visitors at the home of happiness.
Th
ere is a big stony mountain.
Its steepness is hard.
It cannot be climbed with ease but with diffi
culty.
Tighten your belts and work hard.16
Th
e lazy17 are enemies and sinners.
Th
ey should be eliminated to end their sinfulness.
140
chapter four
Gĩai na ũrũme na mwende kũhiũhia,
Wira wanyu ũthire muge nĩtwethiranĩria.
2. Ũrĩa ũmenyo ũtũteithagia
Ũngĩkorũo wĩna bata wagũthiĩ handũ nokorũo ni ũĩ njĩra ya gũthiĩ
handũ hau, ndũngĩona thĩna. Tondũ ũmenyo waku wa njĩra no ũtũme
ũkinye narua hatarĩ thĩna.
No ũngĩkorũo ndũĩ njĩra yaho, ũtuĩke nĩkũrĩrĩria ũkũrĩrıria no ũkue
ihinda iraya tondũ wakũrũgaına na mũndũ o wothe ũrĩtũnga ũkĩmũria
njĩra. Na rĩngĩ ũhĩtie, kana ũkorũo nĩ ũhĩtĩtie, wĩrũo atĩ njĩra ya gũthiĩ
handũ hau ũkwenda ũmĩtigire o hana.
Rĩu ningĩ wambĩrĩre gũcoka ona thutha oharĩa ũkĩire, kinya ohau
werũo ũhĩtĩirie njĩra. Mĩnoga, mang’ũrĩka, korũo nĩ ihinda inene, macio
mothe nĩmo monekaga tondũ wa kũrigwo nĩ njĩra ya gũthiĩ handũ harĩa
ũngĩkorũo ũkĩenda gũthiĩ.
Ũguo noguo gũtariĩ thĩinĩ wa maũndũ mangĩ. Ĩndĩ njĩra cia gwĩka
maũndũ mamwe ni hinya kuona mũndũ wa gũtwirĩra, kana wa
gũtuonia, naguo bata ũrĩa ũninagũo nĩ gĩthomo nĩ ũcio wa kuonia
andũ njĩra ya gwĩka ũndũ mũna.
Ĩndĩ matukũ maya-rĩ gĩthomo gitũ nĩ kĩnyinyi. Na nĩkĩo tũtirĩ
na maũndũ mega kũringana na ũrĩa tũngĩkorũo tũkĩenda. Na nĩkĩo
nĩtwahota kwenda gwĩka ũndũ, ta kwambĩrĩria wĩra mũna, na tondũ
wa kũrigwo nĩ njĩra ya kũwika, tũkageria na twaremwo, ona twarigwo
tũgatirika kana tũkoiga atĩ ũndũ ũcio ndũngĩhoteka.
Kwoguo-rĩ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa andũ meharĩirie kũruta wĩra ona ũrĩkũ, tiwega
gũtirika. Na kĩgiria kĩrĩa kĩngĩgiria gũtirika kuoneke, no andũ magĩire na
ũmenyo. Tond
ũ ũmenyo nĩ ũgĩ naruo rũhiũ rũgĩ rũtirĩ mũtĩ rũtangĩtinia.
Ningĩ nĩtuonire atĩ, mũndũ ũĩ njĩra ya gũthiĩ handũ, athiaga onarua
hatarĩ thĩna kana kũrũo nĩ ihinda.
3. Ũmenyo mwega wa mbere
Mũndũ o wothe nĩagĩrĩirũo nĩ kũmenya atĩ kĩrĩa atindaga akĩnogera
akĩruta wira ona ũrikũ, nĩatĩ thĩna ndũkamũkore Agakorũo akienda
ahote gwĩteithıa we mwene, na andũ ake. Ũguo nĩ kuga mũtumia wake,
ciana ciake, nyina na ithe kana andũ arĩa angi mamũkoniĩ.
Gũteithia andũ aku nĩ kuga nĩ ũhote kũmahe nguo na irio. Nakorũo
nĩ ciana ũhote gũithomithia. Ona ningĩ hĩndi ya ndwari, ũhote
kũmagũrĩra ndawa.
what should we do, our people?
141
Be brave and delight in hurrying,
Complete your task and say you have achieved it.
2. How knowledge helps us 18
If you want to go somewhere and you know the way, you will face no
problem. Knowing the way enables you to arrive without trouble.
But if you don’t know the way, and you start asking, it will take
longer because you will stop to ask whomever you meet. Sometimes
you may lose the way, or you may have missed it already and will be
told you went wrong at such and such a place.
You will start going back to where you are told you got lost. Fatigue,
fury, and waste of time are all the fruits of losing the way to your
planned destination.
Th
is oft en happens. And it’s diffi
cult to fi nd people able to tell or
show us how to do some things. Education does away with the need
to show other people what to do.
However, these days our education19 is limited and so we do not have
things as good as we would like. For when we start a project before
we know how to do it we just try, and when we fail we give up and
say it’s impossible.
Th
erefore, when people plan to do any work it is not good to abandon
it. Once people have acquired knowledge they can understand how to
avoid giving up. For knowledge is sharpness and a sharp machete can
fell any tree.20 We have already seen that someone who knows the way
to a certain place gets there fast, without wasting time.
3. Th
e good knowledge of progress
Everyone knows that he sweats now so that misery will not face him
later. He looks forward to helping himself and his people. Th
at is to
say his wife, children, father or mother, or even his kin.
Writing for Kenya Page 21
