To help your people means being able to clothe and feed them, and
to educate your children. And during sickness you are able to buy
them medicine.
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Nguo na irio ititũraga. No kinya wagũra ũmũthĩ igathira, rũciũ
ũkagũra ingĩ. Nakũngĩkorũo nĩũguo-rĩ, no kinya ũcarie handũ harĩa
ũrĩrutaga mbeca cia gwiteithia ona cia gũteithia andũ aku.
Harĩ andũ matarĩ tha, matatindaga magĩteithia atumia ao, kana ciana
ciao. Kana nyina na ithe, ona kana andũ ao. Mũndũ ũrĩa ũtariĩ ũguo-rĩ,
nĩ ũrĩa ũrĩkĩtie gũthũka, akagĩa na mũtugo mũru, kinya akamenyera
kwaga tha. Na tondũ ũcio meciria make makuhĩhĩirie o ma nyamũ ya
gĩthaka. Tondũ-rĩrĩ, nyamũ noanga ĩteithagia nyina kana ithe na ũndũ
ona ũrĩkũ?
4. Maciaro makwaga ũmenyo kana wagi
Ungĩaga handũ haria mbeca iriumaga no kinya ũthũke, tondũ wa kĩeha
gĩkũhĩnjie. Na gwakorũo ndũrĩ mũgima mũno meciria-nĩ, ũtuĩke mũici;
Ĩndĩ watuĩka mũici nĩwatuĩka mũragani. Waiya ũnyitwo ũthiĩ njera
ũkohwo maũndũ maku makĩrie gũthũka. Akorũo nĩworagana nawe
ũnyitwo ũkoragwo. Na maũndũ macio mothe mekuoneka tondũ wa
kũrigwo nĩ ũrĩa ũngĩka wone mbeca.
Gũgagĩtuĩka atĩ thĩna kana wagi nĩ thũ cia andũ. Ĩndĩ nĩkwagĩrĩire
irũo nacio kinya ininwo bũrũri-inĩ ũyũ witũ. Tikuga nguga atĩ andũ
arĩa othe moraganaga, moraganaga tondũ wothĩnĩ, aca. No andũ arĩa
athini nĩ mahota kũragana makĩria ma arĩa mena indo. Tondũ mũndũ
ũtarĩ na kĩndũ, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa angĩbatario nĩ kĩndũ kĩu makĩria, no erirĩrie
kũgĩa nakĩo na njĩra ĩrĩa yothe arĩkĩona nayo, ũguo nĩ kuga kũiya kana
kwaga kũiya. Ĩndĩ hĩndĩ ĩraĩ angĩnyitwo akĩiya, tondũ wa gũthũra nda-
kamenywo atĩ nĩ mũici, niahota kũraga mũndũ ũcio ũkũmũnyita. Na
nĩkio tugire atĩ, mũici nowe mũragani.
Tondũ ũcio-rĩ, nĩ gĩkeno kĩnene, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ onete hakũruta
inbeca. Naho handũ hau nĩ mawĩra-inĩ ma comba, kana mawĩra-inĩ
ma mũndũ ma wonjoria wa mũthemba o wotha.
Na nĩkĩo harĩ mũndũ ũrĩa mũgĩ, nĩagĩrĩirũo nĩ kũruta wĩra wake
wega na kĩo, na kwĩgitĩra maũndũ-inĩ mothe marĩa ma gũtũma wĩra
ũcio wake ũthũke.
Maũndũ macio mathũkagia mawĩra ma mũndũ marehagwo no andũ
arĩa angĩ. Arĩa maragia mohoro moru makũnina kĩyo kĩa andũ arĩa angi.
Na tondũ ũcio-rĩ, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ ona ũrĩkũ egũkwĩra atĩ ndwagĩrĩirũo
nĩ kũruta wĩra waku na hinya kana na kĩyo-rĩ, ona ũrĩa ũgũkwĩra ũtige
wĩra mwambe mũgacere-rĩ, mũndũ ũcio tigũkũguna egũkũguna. Ĩndĩ
nigũgũte aragũte, na andũ ta acio nĩo wagĩrĩirũo nĩ kwĩgitĩra.
what should we do, our people?
143
Clothes and food are short lived. When you buy them today, they
wear out, and you will buy more tomorrow. Th
at is why you must know
where to get money to help yourself and your family.
Some people without compassion fail to help their wives, children,
parents or even their kin. Such a person has become repulsive,21 with
awful behaviour, to the point of lacking compassion. His mind22 is
close to that of wild animals. For has any wild animal ever helped its
mother or father in any way?
4. Th
e fruits of ignorance or poverty 23
If you have no source of income you become poor, and worry makes
you waste away. Also, if you are not very mature24 in mind you become
a thief. Moreover, when you become a thief, you become a murderer.
If you murder someone, you are arrested and fi nally you will be killed.
All these things come from not knowing how to fi nd money.25
It is therefore true that poverty or want is an enemy of the people.
We need to fi ght them until they are eliminated in our country.26 I’m
not saying that all those who kill do so because of poverty. No. [But]
the poor are more likely to kill than the wealthy. For if someone lacks
something and is in dire need of it, he will strive to get it by any means,
which is to say by theft . However, he may kill anyone who catches him
stealing, since he will hate to be called a thief. Th
at’s why we say a thief
is also a murderer.
To fi nd a good source of money therefore brings great joy. Such a
source can be [found] in white people’s companies or in other people’s
companies.27
Th
erefore a wise person should work well and diligently and stop
doing anything that might cause his work to fail.
Poor people—those who speak evil of other people’s diligence—can
cause one’s work to fail. Anybody who says you should not be working
hard and diligently, or tells you to go visiting instead, is not helping
you. He’s misleading you, and you should avoid such people.
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Tondũ ũcio-rĩ, menya atĩ hatirĩ kĩndũ kĩega, ta kũmenya ũrĩa ũngĩka
mbeca cionekage, cia gwĩteithia, ona cia gũteithia andũ aku nacio. Ona
ningĩ hihi cia gũtigara. Kwoguo tigaga kũheneka onarua wĩcirie mbere
ya gwika.
5. Gwĩciria na gwĩka
Kũmenya ũrĩa ũngĩka nĩguo wonage mbeca nĩ kuo gwĩciria. No kwĩ
meciria moru ta kũiya. Ningĩ kwĩ meciria mega, ta morute wĩra waku
na kĩyo, na hinya ona kwenda kũnene. Norĩrĩ, gwĩciria tigwĩka. Gwĩka
nĩ ũndũ ũngĩ, na gwĩciria nĩ ũndũ ũngĩ. Gwĩciria gũtionagwo no ciĩko
nĩ cionagwo. Tondũ ũcio meciria mega mamenyekaga na ciĩko iria
ikuoneka ciakorũo injega.
Hatirĩ kĩndũ kĩega kĩonekaga o ũguo no hũthũ, no thĩna witũ ithuĩ
andũ airũ nĩ kwenda indo iria cionekaga no hũthũ, na tũgathũra wĩra
wothe wa hinya. No tũgakorũo ningĩ tũkĩenda indo njega. Tondũ wa
gũthũra wĩra ũrĩa mũndũ angiruta one kĩndũ kĩu ekwenda tũkaga
kũgĩa na kĩyo. Tondũ ũcio-rĩ, ũkĩenda kũgĩa na kĩndũ kĩega kana ũndũ
mwega-rĩ, no kinya ũnogere kindũ kĩu kana ũndũ ũcio.
Naguo ũcio nĩ ũira mwega wakuonania atĩ angĩkorũo nĩ ũkwenda
wĩciragıe wega no wĩrutire gwiciria wega nĩ atĩa, kana ũthiage thiritũ na
andũ arĩa meciragia wega. Ona kũngikorũo gwĩciria kwega ti ũhũthũ-rĩ,
nĩwahota gwĩciria ũndũ ũmwe mwega o kahinda kanini, na hĩndĩ ĩrĩa
ũngĩambirĩrĩa gwĩka ũguo wĩcirĩtie, ũtuĩke nĩ ũndũ kana wĩra mũnene
mũno ũgũkua ihinda (iraya) mũno ũgĩthira kana ũkĩrĩka, ta mwaka
kana makĩria.
Wahota gwĩciria ũrĩa arĩ wega ithuĩ andũ airũ tũngĩenda nyũmba
nene ya mahiga ya ngoroba ithathatũ, (ya itiniyo ithathatũ gũthiĩ na
igũrũ) na wone ũrĩa mbeca icio cia kũmĩaka ikuoneka. No rĩrĩa nyũmba
ĩyo ĩngĩambĩrĩria gwakwo, ndĩngĩhota gũthira na mũthenya ũmwe kana
mweri ũmwe ũrĩa we weciririe o mũthenya ũmwe.
Ũguo nĩ kuonania ũrĩa ciĩko irĩ hinya makĩria ma gwĩciria. Na nĩkĩo
tũremagwo nĩ kũrĩkia mawĩra maingĩ marĩa tũkoragwo twĩcirĩtie nĩ
mega tũkiambĩrĩria.
Ihinda nĩ kindũ kĩrĩaga kana
kĩninaga indo ciothe, ona meciria
mega nĩ mahota kũninwo nĩ ihinda tondũ wagũikara mũno. Mũndũ
akariganĩrũo nĩ ũrĩa endaga akĩambĩrĩria wĩra ũcio. Kwaguo-rĩ, wenda
kũruta wĩra waku kinya ũrikie; geria kũririkanaga ũrĩa watanyite
ũkĩambĩrĩria wira ũcio. Na nĩũkũrĩkia ngoro ya mbere yacoka.
what should we do, our people?
145
So you should know what must be done to get money to help your-
self and your family, or even to save. And don’t be easily cheated but
think before you act.
5. Th
inking and doing 28
You have to think in order to know how to get money. But there is a
wrong way of thinking, such as planning to steal. Th
ere is also a good
way of thinking, such as planning how to work vigorously, honestly and
with interest. But thinking is not doing. Doing is diff erent from thinking.
Th
inking is altogether diff erent. Th
inking is not visible, actions are. So
good thoughts are known through actions that are seen to be good.
Nothing good comes easily. Th
e problem with we black people is
that we like what comes easily and hate working hard. Yet we love
good things.29 Because we hate the work that achieves good things, we
eventually lack the necessary eff ort. For if you want to get something
good, you must sweat for it.
Th
is is good advice: if you wish to think well, you must learn what
it takes to think well, or associate with those who think well. Although
good thinking is not easy, one can think up a good idea fairly quickly,
[but] when you start to put it into practice, it may involve lengthy work,
taking a year or more to complete.
You might [for instance] think of how we Africans might have
big, six-storied, buildings, and come up with ideas of how to raise
the money for their construction. But when such construction starts
it cannot be fi nished in a day or a month, even if its idea took just a
day to conceive.
Th
is shows how diffi
cult actions are when compared with thought,
and this is why we are unable to complete projects that we think are
worth starting.
Time consumes resources. Good thoughts can similarly be consumed
by time, by delay, so that one forgets what one wanted when the work
began. So, if you want to fi nish anything, try to remember what your
aims were when you started. You’ll complete a task once you have
reached that fi rst goal.
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chapter four
6. Gĩtũmi kĩa mahoya na gwĩtĩkia
Gĩtina kĩa ũhoti witũ wothe, ona kĩa mawĩra maitũ mothe, ona gĩa
ciugo citũ ciothe, ni ‘WĨTĨKIO’ amu rĩrĩ, ũngĩaga gwĩtĩkia atĩ nda-
hota kwandĩka ibuku tarĩrĩ ndirandĩka, no nemwo. Tondũ ndingihota
gwĩtinania icigo igĩrĩ, kimwe gĩa kuuga atĩ nĩ ngũhota, na kĩrĩa kĩngĩ
ndingĩhota. No kınya ngĩe na ngoro imwe nayo ĩgĩe na Wĩtĩkio atĩ
ndahota, na no hote.
Andũ aingĩ matiũĩ gitũmi kĩa mahoya ona gia gwĩtĩkia, ona gwatuĩka
no mahoyaga na no metĩkĩtie. Tũhoyaga Ngai atũhe kĩndũ kĩrĩa tũtarĩ
nakĩo, na tuongererũo hinya ũrĩa tũrĩ naguo. Ĩndĩ tũngĩhoya atĩ tũheo
mbeca cia gwaka mũthigiti mũnene (ihoero inene rĩa mahiga), na atĩ
tũheo hinya wa gũcaria mbeca icio; Tũcoke o mũndũ gwake mũciĩ aikare
thi, atindage o akĩhoya Ngai na ndarĩ wĩra ekũruta, tiga o kũhoya na
kuga ũrĩa etĩkĩtie, mahoya macio make ona wĩtĩkio ũcio wake nĩ wa
tũhũ.
Tondũ rĩrĩ, ekũhoya atĩ Ngai atũhe mbeca cia gwaka ihoero nacio,
ageterera atĩ Ngai nĩegũtũma mbeca icio na ũndũ wa kĩama. Tondũ ũrĩa
etĩkĩtie nĩatĩ Ngai nĩegũtũhe mbeca icio oro ũguo na kĩama tondũ ati
nĩendete mũhoi ũcio. Ũguo nĩ kũrigwo kũnene. Kĩrĩa andũ mahoyaga,
kana kĩrĩa magĩrĩirũo nĩ kũhoya, nĩatĩ Ngai amahe gwĩciria kwega, nĩguo
ciĩko njega cioneke, na hinya wa kũruta wĩra ũcio marĩkĩtie gwĩciria nĩ
mwega, Ona wĩtikio wa ati nĩ mekũhota kũrĩkia wĩra ũcio ona wakorũo
ni wĩra wa hinya atĩa.
Icio nĩcio ina bata kũhoyũo kũrĩ Ngai witũ. Ĩndĩ tigũtinda mũciĩ
ũkihoya ũtarĩ wĩra ũkũruta ũkĩrĩraga tondũ wa mehia maku torĩa andũ
aingĩ mareka matukũ maya.
Ũkristiano nĩ wendani, na tha itarĩ mũthia na gũkirĩrĩria kũnene
mũno, na kũhorera kũnene, no rĩrĩ, kũngĩcoka gũtuĩke atĩ Ũkristiano
nĩ mũndũ kuga na kanua gake, na kwanĩrĩra na hinya ũkiuga ũrĩa
wĩtĩkĩtie, na ũrĩa andũ arĩa angĩ matetĩkĩtie Ũkristiano tocio no ũtuĩrũo
wa andũ arĩa mena kanua kanene na meyendete, tondũ kwĩragwo ĩkanua
yarĩire ĩtarĩ kanua. Ĩndĩ nĩtũhoe Ngai ũndũ ta ũcio ndũgatũkore, tondũ
nĩwambĩrĩirie kugĩa kuo. Nĩgetha Ũkristiano witũ ũtũre ũrĩ o wendani,
na tha, na gũkirĩrĩria kũnene na kũhorera kũnene, ona kĩyo nigetha
ciĩko citũ ituĩke ũira wa ũrĩa twendete Ngai.
Na ningĩ atĩrĩrĩ, ũngĩhe mũndũ ũhoro wa kũndũ ũrĩa gũtariĩ, kana
wa mũndũ ũrĩa atarii, ũrĩa mũndũ ũcio ekaga meciria-inĩ make nĩ
kũhũra mbica ya kũndũ kũu kana mũndũ ũcio. Nĩgetha ahote kũigua
na kũmenya wega ũrĩa ũkuga.
what should we do, our people?
147
6. Th
e reason of prayers and belief
Th
e root of all our abilities, all our work and all our words, is belief.30
For if I do not believe I am capable of writing a book like this, I will
fail to fi nish it. I cannot cut myself in two, with one part saying that I
can’t do it and the other saying I can. I must be resolved31 and believe
that I can, and I will.
Many people don’t know the reason for prayers or belief, even though
they pray and believe. We pray to God to be given what we lack, and
to increase the strength we already have. But if we pray to be given
money to built a big mosque32 (a big stone building), and are given
the strength to look for the money, but [then] everyone stays at home
praying and reciting his beliefs without doing anything, all prayer and
belief will be useless.
Th
is why: whoever prays that God will give the money for a place
of worship may hope God will send that money as if by miracle. He
believes God will send the money simply because God loves a wor-
shipper. Th
is is a big delusion.33 What people should pray is for God
to give them good thoughts so that they undertake good actions—and
the strength to work so that what they have conceived will be done.
Th
ey should also believe that they are able to accomplish this task, no
matter how hard.34
Th
ese are the important things for which to pray to God. Don’t spend
time praying at home without doing anything, only crying on account
of your sins—as some people do these days.
Christianity is love, compassion without end, great patience, and
great civility.35 But when it’s taken to mean people confessing with t
heir
mouth, shouting loudly what they believe in and what others believe,
such Christianity is what loud-mouthed and self-centred people con-
ceive. As it is said, ikanua yariire itari kanua, ‘an animal with a mouth consumed one without’. Let us pray God that this does not happen to
us, since it has started to creep in.36 For if our Christianity is to remain
as love, compassion, and deeds, our actions must be our evidence of
how we love God.
When you tell a person about a certain place, or about another per-
son, in his mind he takes a picture37 of that place or person. Th
at is
how he hears and knows what you tell him. He sees and understands
your idea in his own mind without diffi
culty.
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chapter four
Agakĩona o wega meciria-inĩ make na akaigua o wega ũhoro waku
hatarĩ thĩna.
Tondũ ũcio-rĩ tũngĩkĩenda gũtongorio nĩ ũhoro ũcio nĩ getha
tũmenye mũndũ mũkĩgu na mũndũ mũgĩ-rĩ, no tuge atĩrĩ: Atĩ mũndũ
ũrĩa mũgĩ ahũraga mbica njega mũno meciria-inĩ make, ya mũndũ
ũcio kana ya kũndũ kũu, ũkona atĩ nĩ-ĩgũkenio mũno nĩ ũhoro waku,
tondũ nĩaraigua o makĩria ũrĩa ũkũmwĩra.
No harĩ mũndũ mũkĩgu-rĩ ahũraga mbica thitu na thũku meciria-inĩ
make, akaremwo nĩ kũigua wega ũrĩa ũkũmwĩra, ũkona atĩ ndegũkenio
nĩ ũhoro ũcio waku, tondũ ndekuona ũhoro ũcio ũrĩa ũkonainie na
mabataro make, tondũ nĩ hinya harĩ mũndũ mũkĩgu gũthikirĩria ũndũ
ũngĩ tiga o ũrĩa ũmũkonie, kana ũrĩa ũngĩmũgana ta kũmwĩta mwega
na mũgĩ, na kũmwĩra nĩ tũthiĩ tũkarie kĩna, ũhoro ũcio noguo wĩ bata
hari mũndũ mũkĩgu. Riu-rĩ, kũringana na ũhoro ũcio-rĩ, tũngienda
kũmenya wĩtĩkio wa mũndũ-rĩ, kana worĩa eciragia Ngai atarii-rĩ, no
tuge: Atĩ harĩ mũndũ mũgĩ; hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ekũheo ũhoro wa Ngai, niahũraga
mbica njega mũno meciria-inĩ make, akona o wega ũrĩa Ngai arĩ mwega
na wa kũmakania, na ũrĩa arĩ mũnene, Na akaĩgua o wega gitũmi kia
ndelo icio.
No harĩ mũndũ mũkĩgu-ri, ahũraga kabica kanini na koru meciria-
ini make, akaga kũmenya kana kuona ũrĩa Ngai arĩ mũnene, kana ũrĩa
ari wa kũmakania. Akona Ngai arĩ wake wiki na ti wa andũ arĩa angĩ,
kwoguo enda kĩndũ, ageciria nĩ Ngai wenda, ningĩ amena kĩndũ, ageciria
Writing for Kenya Page 22
