If you are not used to walking long distances on foot, say thirty miles,
and then fi nd that you have to, by the time you get there you will be
very tired. You may fall sick or your legs may swell. But it’s nothing
much to one who is used to walking far.
It’s the same with thinking. Many have not used their brains since
they were born. If you ask, they say the same was true of their prede-
cessors. So, even if you want to think something through, you will not
be able to because you are not used to it.
Our house-builders should therefore not restrict their ideas like
people in the past, so that they can then build diff erent types of houses.
Th
ey should neither think that to build a house in a certain way is a
taboo that brings death to people, nor follow only one style of build-
ing, as in the past.77
20. Buildings these days
Th
ese days, it is not a taboo to build how one wishes, either in a round
shape or using corners. As we have seen, the whites do not die for
building the way they wish.
We should benefi t from the coming of the whites to our country.
We cannot benefi t by hating them or their things. If we did, we would
face disaster and disasters don’t bring happiness.78 As we have already
said, anything that fails to bring happiness should be eliminated—once
we start on the road of enlightenment.
So we should like what can benefi t us, and leave out what is not
benefi cial.
Th
e whites’ style of housing can benefi t us because it consists of the
things we said were important in a good house, such as being clean,
178
chapter four
gũthera, kũneneha, gũtũũra, na gũthakara. Na ũrĩa tũngĩhota gwaka
nyũmba ta icio, no twendire na kwenda kũnene kwa ngoro kũringana
na ũrĩa rĩu tũrĩkĩtie kũmenya.
Kwoguo tũcarie mbeca na ũndũ wa kũruta wĩra na hinya, na wĩra
mwega, na ningĩ tũrĩ rũmwe. Tondũ twatuĩka no kwenda gũtheri hatarĩ
gwĩka no wĩra wa tũhũ, na no ta kĩroto. Kwoguo rekei twendane, tũnine
ũiru, twĩriragĩrie o mũndũ witũ kũgĩa na nyũmba njega. Na nĩ tũgũtoria
thũ iitũ ‘ũrimũ na thĩna’.
21. Ngwatanĩro ya aaki
Nĩ kũrĩ na andũ marutĩtwo wĩra wa gwaka nyũmba cia mahiga ona
maturubarĩ, na tondũ worĩa tuonire twĩna bata wa nyũmba ta icio, ũrĩa
kwagĩrĩire nĩ ati andũ acio magĩe na ngwatanĩro ĩmwe.
Nao magĩe na mwĩhĩtwa mwerũ, atĩ matikahurũka kinya o mũndũ o
wothe wĩ bũrũri-inĩ witũ akagĩa na nyũmba ya ihiga kana ya Maturubarĩ,
ona Nduka ciothe, na Cukuru, mithigiti itũ yakwo na mahiga kana
Maturubarĩ.
Ti atĩ mamakĩre tũhũ, aca, no nĩ mamakire kũringana na ũrĩa
mwakĩrũo kana akirũo maigania mbeca, na andũ othe merũo na
monio ũrĩa nyũmba iria tũtũraga rĩu itarĩ njega, nĩguo mone gĩtũmi
kĩa nyũmba njega.
Na tondũ ũcio-ri, aaki acio monie andũ angĩ aingĩ ũbundi ũcio wa
gwaka, na macoke meyamũre njatũ igĩrĩ, amwe matuĩke wĩra wao nĩ
gũicũhia mahiga, na kũũmba, na gũcina Maturubarĩ, nao arĩa angĩ
matuĩke nĩ gwakĩra andũ.
Kwoguo makagũra mahiga na maturubarĩ macio kuuma kũrĩ aicũhia
na acini, nao maaka manyũmba makarihwo nĩ ene manyũmba macio.
Th
ĩna witũ matukũ maya nĩ atĩ, aicũhia a mahiga na ombi a maturubarĩ
mendagia goro mũno ota ũrĩa mekwenderia comba kana ũhĩndĩ.
Makariganĩrũo atĩ andũ airũ matirĩ mbeca nyingĩ ta athũngũ kana ũhĩndĩ.
Na tondũ wa wagi ũcio, makaremwo nĩ kũgũra mahiga macio ona
maturubarĩ macio, nao acio megwacũhia mahiga maga agũri, magatiga
kũruta wĩra ũcio, bũrũri ũgakĩria gũcoka na thutha.
Ũrĩa andũ magĩrĩirũo nĩ gwĩka, nĩ gũtanya ũrĩa mangĩendia kĩndũ
raithi nĩguo agũri maingĩhe, na marore matikae gũthiĩ ‘hasara’ tondũ
wa raithi ũcio wao. Ningĩ matikae kwenda umithio mũnene torĩa andũ
matariĩ rĩu. Na tũngĩka ũguo bũrũri nĩ-ũgũthiĩ na mbere, na mbeca
cingĩhe, na andũ maiyũrũo nĩ gĩkeno magoce Ngai.
what should we do, our people?
179
big, and beautiful. We will only be able to build such houses if we love
[each other] as we have already discussed.
We should therefore look for money by working hard, honestly,
and in unity. For wishing without doing is useless, just like a dream.
So let us love each other, end jealousy, and then each of us should
look forward to having a good house. We will also defeat our enemy,
‘ignorance and poverty’.
21. Association of builders 79
Some people have been trained as masons. Since we have found we
need [stone] houses, those masons ought to come together in an asso-
ciation. Th
ey also [ought to] have a new commitment, not to rest until
everyone in this country gets houses, shops, schools, and churches built
of stone and bricks.
Not that they should build them for free. No. Th
ey should build
according to what each client can aff ord. People should [fi rst] be con-
vinced that the houses we currently live in are not good, so that they
can appreciate the need for good houses.
Th
ese builders should train many other people in their trade, then
get into two groups, with some to carve stone and make bricks, the
others to do the building.
Th
e builders will buy stone and bricks from those who have prepared
them, then build the houses and get paid by the owners.
Our problem today is that stone and brick merchants sell at high
cost, as when selling material to whites and Indians.
But because of [African] poverty, builders cannot aff ord to buy stone
and bricks, and when those who carve stone and make bricks fail to
fi nd a market, they abandon the work and the country starts sliding
backwards.
People ought to aim to sell things at fair prices so that they get more
buyers, but take care not to sell at a loss with prices that are too low.
Th
ey should also not sell at abnormally high prices, as people do these
days.80 If we follow this [advice], this country will advance, have more
money, and people will be happy and praise God.
180
chapter four
22. Ũturi na aturi
Wĩra o wothe wa moko, wa gwaka kana wa kũrĩma, ndũrutagwo na
moko matheri. No mũhaka hagĩe na indo cia cuma cia kũruta wĩra ũcio
nacio. Ta hiũ, na macembe, na thururu. na mathanwa, na nyondo, na
mĩtarimbo na indo iria ingĩ ciothe tũũĩ.
Ririkana gũtanya gwitũ nĩ ũrĩa tũngĩhota gwĩteithia. Na nĩ tugire atĩ,
ũrĩa twagĩrĩirũo nĩ gũcokereria kahinya gothe karĩa tũrĩ nako, na kaũgĩ
gothe tũrĩ nako, tũitũmĩre na njĩra ĩrĩa ingĩtũrehere kĩguni. Na tondũ
ũcio-rĩ, nitwagirĩire tũgĩe na aturi agũturaga indo iria twabatario nĩcio.
Tene aturi mari okuo, no ũturi wao warĩ mũnyiniyi kũringana na
mabataro mao marĩa marĩ manyinyi, na waiyũirũo nĩ mũgĩro
kũringana
na mũtugo ũrĩa warĩ kuo.
Matukũ maya-rĩ, nĩ kũrĩ andũ marutitwo gũtura. Nao matirĩ wĩra
marutagĩra ũgĩ ũcio wao tondũ worĩa indo nyingĩ iria mangĩtura ta hiũ
na macembe na indo ingi nyingĩ ciũrĩte nduka-ini. Na tondũ wa kuona
ũguo makaga wĩra tiga o tũwira tũnini twa gũtura na kũrata mĩtũngi
ya maĩ, na tũindo tũngĩ tũnini ta tũu.
Na tondũ ũcio-rĩ, ũrĩa twagĩrĩirũo nĩ gwĩka nĩ atĩ aturi magĩe na
ngwatanĩro yao, na make iturĩro riao kana kiganda
Andũ agima marutaga o wĩra mũgima, na mwega, na andũ matarĩ
agima marutaga wĩra ũtarĩ mũgima, na mũũru, ũtangĩkenia ũũ kana ũũ.
Na tondũ ũcio-rĩ, twatua kũruta wĩra o na ũrĩkũ-rĩ, rekei tũrute ũrĩke
o wega, tũtige kũruta manuthu. Naguo ũguo noguo tũngiuga kũringana
na aturi acio aitũ. Merute ũrĩa cuma ciũmbĩtwo, na kĩrĩa gĩtũmaga
ciũme, na nĩ mũthanga ũrĩkũ umaga cuma. Nĩ tuonire atĩ kwenda kwa
mũndũ nĩkuo githimi kĩa harĩa angĩhota gũkinyia wĩra mũna, naguo
ũguo noguo tũngiuga harĩ aturi acio aitũ.
23. Kũrĩma na arĩmi
Tiri nĩguo nyina witũ, tondũ nĩguo umaga indo ciothe cia kũguna andũ
othe athĩ handũ marũma. Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa andũ mohĩga nĩ mahotaga kuona
kana kũruta indo cia mĩthemba mĩingĩ mũno tĩri-inĩ, na cia goro mũno
ta ‘thahabu’, na ‘fetha’, na cuma cia mĩthemba yothe, o na indo ingi ta
maguta ma tawa na betũrũ ya gũtwara mĩtokaa.
No ithuĩ kĩndũ kĩrĩa tũrutaga tĩri inĩ, nĩ irio cia kũrĩa na cia kwendia.
Tene nitwarĩmaga, na rĩu no tũrĩmaga. No tũngikorũo nĩ irio cia kũrĩa
na cia kwendia tũrĩmagĩra ota ũguo twoiga rĩ, irio icio citũ ingĩagĩra
mũno, o na ciingĩhe mũno kũngĩkorũo migũnda itũ nĩ mĩnoru.
what should we do, our people?
181
22. Blacksmithing and blacksmiths
Physical jobs like building and cultivation are not done by hand alone.
Th
ere must be iron tools to help in the work. Th
ese include machetes,
forks, mattocks, axes, crowbars, and the other tools known to us.
Remember that our aim is to know how to help ourselves. We have
already said we should gather all our strength and all our knowledge
and use them to bring us benefi t. So we need blacksmiths to make the
tools we require.
In the past there were blacksmiths but their trade was small-scale,
dependent on the needs of the time, and guided by the customary
taboos of the time.
Today, there are people trained as blacksmiths. But there is nowhere
to use this skill, since many of the tools they can make are stocked in
shops. On seeing this, they can only fi nd one-off jobs like repairing
water barrels and other small-scale work.
What we need is a blacksmiths’ association, with a construction site
or factory.
Mature people do mature things and immature people do poor,
immature things that impress nobody. Th
erefore, when we start some-
thing, let us do it and complete it properly, not half way. As to our
blacksmiths we can say: Let them train in how iron is made and what
makes it so hard, and what type of soil makes iron. We saw that one’s
resolve is the best measure of how far one can do a job of work. We
can say the same of these blacksmiths.81
23. Farming and farmers
Th
e soil is our mother, because it produces everything that benefi ts
humanity the world over. When people become knowledgeable, they can
produce diff erent sorts of things from the soil. Some are very precious,
like gold, silver, minerals, and other things like kerosene or petrol.82
What we produce from the soil is food for our consumption and for
sale. We used to farm in the past just as we do today. If we produce
food for consumption and for sale, it will increase and be of better
quality if our land is fertile.
182
chapter four
Tondũ ũcio nĩtwagĩrĩirũo nĩ gũcaria ũrĩa tũngĩnoria mĩgũnda, itũ,
na ũrĩa tĩri ũtangĩtwarũo kana ũthererio nĩ kĩguũ.
Ningĩ andũ arĩa mathomeire wĩra ũcio wa mĩgũnda, tũgerie gwĩka ota
ũrĩa megũtwira kwagĩriire gwĩkwo kũringana na ũrĩmi, o na ũhandi, nĩ
getha irio ciitũ ciingĩhe. Gũthomera ũndũ nĩ kuga nĩ gwĩciria makiria
ũhoro wa ũndũ ũcio, na kwoguo acio mathomeire ũrĩmi nĩ kuuga mena
ũmenyo mwega gũkĩra arĩa matathomeire. Na nĩ tugire atĩ wĩra witũ
nĩ gũcaria ũndũ o wothe ũngĩtũrehere kĩguni, na ũgi wa ũrĩmi wina
kĩguni mũno hari ithui.
Nao andũ acio merutite wĩra wa ũrĩmi-rĩ, magĩrĩirũo nĩ kũgĩa na
ngwatanĩro yao ota ũrĩa tuonire tũgĩtereta ũhoro wa ‘Irio na Mĩgũnda’
mahothe mbeca magũre Gĩthaka kana makombore, nĩgetha matũmĩre
ũgĩ ũcio wao wa Ũrimi, nĩguo andũ arĩa angĩ mone atĩ ti ũhoro wa
tũhũ moigaga hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mekuga atĩ kwagĩrĩirũo nĩ kũrĩmwo ũna. Na
kahinda o kau mone mbeca cia kũnenehia wĩra ũcio wao.
Hindĩ ya kũrĩma yakinya-rĩ, ũrĩa andũ magĩrĩirũo nĩ gwĩciria nĩ ũrĩa
mangĩrĩma narua, matekũnoga, na marime kũnene nĩgetha makagetha
irio nyingĩ.
Wahota kũrĩma kũnene na ũrĩme narua angĩkorũo ũkũrĩma na
ng’ombe kana na ‘Tractor’ ithenya rĩa kũrĩma na moko. Na nĩ wĩra
wa arĩmi acio gwĩciria ũrĩa mangĩgũra macembe na ng’ombe kana
‘Matractor’ cia kũrĩma nacio.
Indo icio ti andũ aingĩ mangĩhota kwĩgũrĩra matukũ maya, no andũ
marĩ aingĩ no mahote kũgũra tondũ kamũingĩ koyaga ndĩrĩ.
24. Gĩthomo na athomi
Gũthoma (Education) nĩ ũndũ mũgeni kũrĩ ithuĩ andũ airũ, na nĩ
kwega, no tondũ worĩa wega ũcio wa gĩthomo ũrĩ mũingi ndũngĩhoteka
kũheyanirũo ũhoro waguo wothe kabuku-inĩ gaka.
Ũrĩa tũngĩka no tũhũrire Kabica kanini harĩ ũhoro ũcio wa gĩthomo
nĩgetha tũmenye bata wakĩo ũrĩa wonekaga na gĩtũmi giakĩo nĩ kii?
Ũngĩrũgama handũ o hothe, wambĩrĩrie gwĩciria, no ũmenye atĩ
magũrũ-inĩ maku he Th
ĩ, na nĩyo ũkinyĩte, ningĩ igũrũ rĩaku he Riũa,
na gatagatĩ-inĩ ka Riũa na Th
ĩ he kũndũ gũtheri gũtarĩ kindũ. Ningĩ
wecirangia makĩria-rĩ, wone atĩ Th
ĩ iiyũrĩtwo nĩ indo nyingĩ, Mahiga,
Tĩri, Mĩtĩ, Nyamũ, na Andũ arĩa angĩ tawe. Ningĩ warora Igũrũ wone
atĩ to Riũa riiki rikuo, kwĩna indo ingĩ ta Njata na Mweri. Rĩu harĩa
bata wa gĩthomo wonekagĩra nĩ rĩrĩa mũndũ ambĩrĩria kũũria atĩrĩrĩ,
what should we do, our people?
183
So we should look for ways to make our land fertile and protect it
from erosion.83
We should also try to practise what the people who are trained in
agriculture tell us about farming and planting, in order to increase our
yields. To train in a certain area means that you concentrate and think
much about that specialisation. Th
ose who have trained in agriculture
have better knowledge of farming than untrained people. We shoul
d
look for what brings benefi ts to us, and farming knowledge is very
benefi cial.
Agricultural experts should form their own association just as we
saw when we discussed food and land. Th
ey should contribute money
and buy or lease land, so that they use their knowledge in farming.
When they demonstrate a diff erent way of farming, other people will
fi nd that their knowledge is not in vain. Th
ey will at the same time fi nd
the funds to expand their enterprise.
When the time comes to cultivate, people should think of how to
cultivate large pieces quickly, to increase yields without getting tired.
You can cultivate huge chunks of land fast if you use ploughs or
tractors rather than hands. It’s up to farmers to think how they can
buy ploughs or tractors with which to cultivate.84
Few individuals can aff ord to buy such implements today—only
when they are many, as in the saying kamũingi koyaga ndirĩ ‘a small
organised group lift s the mortar’.85
24. Education and students 86
Education is a recent experience for us black people, but it’s good.
Because its goodness is so great, it cannot be described in full in this
small book.
What we can do is simply to think through the phenomenon of
education in order to see its value and importance.
If you stand anywhere and start thinking, you may fi nd that beneath
your feet is the earth on which you stand, and up in the sky there is
the sun and, between earth and sky, there is hollow space. On thinking
further, you will fi nd the earth is full of many things, stones, soil, trees, animals and other human beings like yourself. If you look up in the sky,
you will fi nd there is not only the sun but other things like the moon
and the stars. Th
e value of education starts when one asks oneself, what
184
chapter four
Indo ici igũkũ, thĩ-rĩ, nĩkĩ? Na ningï ciũmbĩtwo atĩa? Nacio indo icio nĩ
Tĩri, na Mahiga, Mĩtĩ, Nyamũ, na andũ arĩa angĩ na indo cioth ngwata
rũhuho na kayũ.
Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ ambĩrĩria kũũria ũguo, agakĩririkana atĩ kũũria na
Kanua gatheri nĩ wĩra watũhũ, agakĩoya Karamu akaandikaga o ũrĩa
egwĩciria indo icio itariĩ. Ti atĩ amenyaga na hindĩ yambere ya gĩtũmi
kĩa indo icio, ona kana akamenya na hĩndĩ ya mbere ũrĩa ciũmbĩtwo.
Writing for Kenya Page 27
