Something is bad when it fails to do what it’s supposed to do, or
when it refuses to do the work it was built to perform. Something is
good when it has improved on its nature, and does what it is supposed
to do better than other things which are similar.
Some things are neither bad nor good but do the work they were
built for, so people forget about them. Your hand, for example, is not
sick and you continue using it to work. So you do not remember that
your hand is not sick. Th
is is true of many things.
Th
us, something is known to be good when it goes up to a certain
limit and bad when it goes below a certain point. When his hand is
sick a person knows it.
Let us see now how a person ought to be. God created man so that
he [can be] mature in all things. Maturity is the love of truth, hard
work, love for others, circumspection,113 and honesty and cleanness114
in every respect.
Someone with all these attributes is wise and people will be happy
with him. Th
ose unhappy with him are worse off than he. For a thief
[only] loves another thief.
To be immature is to lie, to be foolish, to hate others, to be mad,
dishonest, jealous, and [full of] all kinds of uncleanness.
If you have all those good attributes and someone hates or abuses
you, you should not be troubled, as the other is in the wrong. If you
have those bad attributes and someone associates you with any of them,
he is not abusing you, he is just telling the way you are.
But it is possible to be hated for nothing or abused for nothing,
because of your looks or the colour of your skin. Th
is is not something
a truthful person should worry about, as he knows himself better than
other people do.
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Kũmena mũndũ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ena maũndũ mega kana kĩndũ kĩega nĩkuo
gwĩtagwo ũiru, tondũ ameneirũo wega wake kana kĩndũ kĩega gĩake.
Kũmena mũndũ tondũ wa maũndũ make moru kũu nĩ kũama,
no kaba kũmuonia ũru wake gũkĩra kũmũmena, tondũ rũmena rũa
mũthemba o wothe nĩ mbeũ thũku, na wa mĩtũmĩra nĩũkũmĩhanda
ngoro-inĩ yaku.
Mũmenani o wothe kana mũrumani o wothe akoragwo akĩenda
mũndũ ũcio amenete kana ekũruma atige kũhana ũguo egũkorũo ahana,
kana age kĩndũ kĩrĩa egũkorũo enakĩo. Tondũ wahota kũigua mũndũ
akiuga nĩ menete ng’ania tondũ wa ũndũ mũna na mũna, kana tondũ
wa kĩndũ kĩna na kĩna, na ndiendete ũguo.
Ningĩ nake mũrumani etaga mũndũ kĩndũ kĩrĩa kĩũru gũkĩra mũndũ
ũcio, ta Ngui, ndigiri kana ng’ombe. Uhoro wa irumi wikiriga mũno,
tondũ ũkuoneka ta ũtathagwo nĩ ũmenyo kana ũgĩ. Ũkoneka ta wath-
aguo nĩ ruo rũrĩa rũrĩ thĩinĩ wa mũndũ.
Tondũ-rĩ, mũndũ angĩũka atue gũkũhe ũhoro wa maheni ta atĩrĩrĩ:
Kũrarĩ mũcemanio kũndũ kũna, andũ othe mararikanĩra ati ng’ombe
icoke gwĩtũo andũ na andũ othe macoke gwĩtwo ng’ombe. Ndũngĩtĩkia
mũndũ ũcio no ũmwĩre athiĩ ũrĩa oĩ tondũ ti mũgima.
No rĩrĩ, angĩũka mũndũ agwĩte ng’ombe no ũrakare mũno, rĩngĩ
mũrũe mũtihanie kana mũgerane ngero ĩngĩ. No rĩrĩ, hatirĩ watho
wa gwatha mũndũ etĩkie maheni, we nĩũĩ o wega atĩ wĩ mũndũ ndũrĩ
ng’ombe. Na hĩndĩ irĩa mũndũ egũgwĩta ng’ombe nĩ maheni ekwaria.
Nĩkĩ gĩgũgĩtũma ũmwĩtĩkie kinya mũgeranage ngero?
Wahota gũtwĩka ng’ombe tondũ wa gwĩtwo ng’ombe? Maũndũ
maingĩ marĩ hinya o kũigana, na nĩ wĩra wa mũndũ o wothe gũtũmĩra
ũgĩ wake na njĩra ya kũrigicũra maũndũ nĩgetha amenye ũrĩa angĩka
aikare na thayũ.
Haro na ngũĩ ĩtarĩ bata kana kĩguni. Caria Ma ya ũndũ o wothe
harĩa irĩ, na ndũcoka gũtangĩka. Th
ayũ, gĩkeno, kĩyo, wendani, ũtheru
wa ngoro na wa mwĩrĩ, na wa nyũmba yaku. Ũreke ũthaka wa bũrũri
kana ũruru ũrĩa mwega ũkenagia ngoro, ona nyĩmbo njega cia kũhoreria
ngoro, ũreke itwĩke cia thiritũ yaku.
31. Watho na gĩtũmi kĩaguo
Bũrũri-inĩ kwĩ mandũ ma mĩthemba ĩrĩ, moru na mega, kana marĩa
andũ metĩkĩtie na makarĩkanĩra atĩ gwĩka ũna nĩ ũru, na gwĩka ũna
nĩ wega.
what should we do, our people?
207
To hate someone when he is doing well or has something good is
called jealousy, since he is hated for being good or for his property.
To hate someone because of his bad behaviour is to be truthful, but it
is better to show [him] his wrongs rather than hate him, for all hatred
is a bad seed. When you use it, you plant it in your heart.
All those who hate and all who insult, want the one who is being
hated or sworn at to change himself or to lose whatever he has. You
may hear someone say he hates so and so because of this or that, and
I do not like that.
Someone who abuses another man calls him something like dog,
donkey, or cow. Th
e issue of invective is very confusing. It appears to
be triggered by knowledge or intelligence, [but in fact] it seems to be
directed by the pain inside a person.
Suppose someone comes and starts lying to you like this: ‘Th
ere was
a meeting in a certain place, and the people agreed that all cows should
be called people and all people cows’, you would not believe him but
tell him to go his own way.
However, if someone comes and calls you a cow, you would be very
angry, and perhaps even fi ght, hurt each other and cause each other
harm. But there are no laws compelling people to believe in lies, since
you know very well that you are a human being and not a cow. When
someone calls you a cow, he is telling lies. Why should you believe him
and cause harm to each other?
Can you become a cow by being called a cow? Many things are very
confusing and it is the work of everybody to use their wisdom to unravel
the confusion, so as to discover how to live peacefully.115
Wars and confl icts are useless and fruitless. Search for the truth in
everything and you will never be troubled. Peace, happiness, eff ort,
love, cleanness of the heart, body and home. Let the country’s beauty,
the good coolness make your heart happy, and let good songs soothe
your heart. Make them your bosom friends.
31. Law and its purposes
In any country, there are two types of behaviour. People believe and
agree that doing one thing is good, while doing another is bad.
208
chapter four
Tondũ ũcio-rĩ, tũngirora ũrĩa watho wambagĩrĩria-rĩ, no tuone atĩ
wambagĩrĩria he nyina na ithe hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ e mũnyinyi. Nyina na
ithe wa kaana nĩ mataaraga mwana, wao hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ambĩrĩria kũmenya
ũndũ. Makamwĩra gwĩka ũna nĩ ũru, na gwĩka ũna nĩ wega. Ũcio nĩguo
watho wa mbere wa ithe na nyina wa mũndũ o wothe.
Ningĩ makamũkania makamwĩra atĩrĩrĩ, ingĩkona wĩkĩte maũndũ
macio moru ndakwĩrarĩ, nĩngakũhũra mũno. Rĩu mwana agagĩkũra
akĩmenyaga atĩ
ũna nĩ mũru na ndeka ũguo nĩngũhũrũo. Tondũ wa
guoya ũcio mwana agagĩtigagĩra gwĩka maũndũ moru mothe, okinya
akagĩa na mũtugo mwega wa gũthũra maũndũ moru mothe.
Agekaga o ũrĩa ithe na nyina mekwenda nao magakenio nĩwe,
kĩrathimo na thayũ igakiiyũra mũcii ũcio.
No rĩrĩ, mũndũ atuĩka mũgima ndacokaga gwĩtigĩra nyina na ithe,
tondũ wa kuona atĩ rĩu ena hinya o tao kana kũmakĩra. Na tondũ
ũcio-rĩ, wahota kũigua mũndũ akĩrũo atĩ nĩarahũrire nyina kana ithe,
ũguo nĩ kuonania atĩ ahota kũgera ngero o yothe hangĩaga kĩgiria kĩrĩa
kĩngĩgiria eke ota ũrĩa ekwenda.
Na ũria mũndũ ũmwe angĩkorũo ekĩenda noguo andũ aingĩ nao
mangĩenda gwĩka o ũrĩa mũndũ egwĩciria agĩrĩirũo nĩ gwĩka. Enda
kũraga mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ akoraga, enda kũiya akaiya, tondũ ndakĩrĩ na
mũria. Ngai arotũteithia gũtikae kũhana ũguo.
Rĩu hihi wahota kuona wega gĩtũmi kĩa watho harĩa ũteithagĩria
andũ naho. Ũgitagira andũ matikae kũgerũo ngero nĩ andũ acio oru.
Na ũgatũma bũrũri ũikare na thayũ, na mũndũ ũrĩa ũtarĩ na hinya
ndakae gũtunywo kĩndũ gĩake ni ũrĩa wĩna hinya.
Tene mĩgiro mĩingĩ na thahu ũrĩa mũndũ egeragĩrio ekũgĩa naguo
tondũ wa gwĩka ũndũ mũna nĩ watũmaga andũ maikare marĩ ega, na
mena mũtugo mwega.
No matukũ maya-rĩ, andũ mahota gũtuĩka ega na athingu korũo
metĩkia ũrutani wa Jesu Kristo na ma. No rĩrĩ, hatirĩ ũndũ wa gũtũma
andũ othe matuĩke ega no kinya kũgĩage na aici na andũ angĩ agano
mũno, o aria tũtangĩhota kuona ngoro ciao.
Tondũ mũnnũ ahota kuga na kanua gake ũrĩa arĩ mwega, ona rĩngĩ
ciĩko ciake cionanie ta arĩ mwega. No acoke akorũo mũndũ ũcio nĩwe
ũgeraga ngero nyingi mũno iria itangĩgweteka.
Kwoguo-rĩ, watho ũgagĩkĩrũo kana bata waguo ũgagĩkinyĩrĩra
Gũkerũo kana gũkandĩkwo atĩ, mũndũ agera ngero na, ibũra rĩake nĩ
rĩna. Na hatiĩragwo atĩ tiga ng’ania, no mũndũ o wothe ũrĩa ũkagera
ngero ĩo. Ona kũngĩkorũo nĩ mũcirithania we mwene.
what should we do, our people?
209
If we look at how the law is conceived, we will see that it starts with
one’s parents when one is young. Parents advise a child when he starts
understanding things. Th
ey tell him that doing this is good and doing
that is bad. Anyone’s fi rst law is from parents.
Parents also warn him like this: ‘If I ever see you doing what I have
warned you against, I will beat you thoroughly.’ Th
e child grows up
knowing that if I do such and such, I will be beaten. Th
at fear causes
the child to fear doing the bad things he has been warned against and
gets into the habit of hating bad behaviour.
He does what his parents want and they in turn are impressed by
the child. Blessings and peace come to their home.
However, when he grows up, he no longer fears his parents as he
sees that he is stronger than they. You sometimes hear that somebody
beat up his mother or father. He can cause a lot of harm if there is
nothing to prevent him doing whatever he wants.
Moreover, what one person wants to do is also what other people
want to do. If he wants to kill someone, he does so, as he has no one
to castigate him. May God help us not to be like that.
Now you may see clearly the purpose of law and how it helps people.
It protects people from being harmed by bad ones, and keeps the coun-
try at peace. Th
e strong do not take the property of the poor.
In the past, the many prohibitions and taboos that people were taught
made them behave properly.
Today, however, people may become good and righteous if they can
truly believe in the teaching of Jesus Christ. Th
ere is no way to make
everybody good. Th
ere will therefore be thieves and other very evil
people, since we cannot see through their hearts.
One may say with his mouth how good he is, and his actions may
show that he is good, but he may in fact cause all kinds of unmention-
able harm. Because of that, the law is put in place and its importance
emphasized. It is written down that if one commits a crime, there is a
specifi c punishment. Th
ere is no exception, but it applies to whoever
commits the crime, even to the judge himself.
We therefore see that, if the punishment for murder is death, there is
no good reason why that murderer should not be killed, once an inves-
tigation shows he is guilty. Money or wealth cannot prevent you from
being executed, contrary to what some people think these days.116
210
chapter four
Tũgakĩona atĩ angĩkorũo watho wakũraga mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ mũragani
nake nĩ kũragworĩ, hatirĩ kĩgiria gĩa kũgiria mũragani ũcio age kũragwo
kũngĩtuĩrio na kũoneke o wega atĩ nĩwe ũraganĩte. Mbia kana ũtonga o
wothe ndũngĩgiria oragũo ta ũrĩa andũ aingĩ meciragia matukũ-inĩ maya.
Tũgakĩona atĩ ona kũringana na mawĩra maitũ marĩa tũrĩkoragwo
tũkĩenda kũmaruta nĩ kwagĩriire tũgĩe na mawatho makũgitĩra wĩra
ũcio ndũkae kũgũithio nĩ andũ arĩa oru, marĩkoragwo gatagatĩinĩ gaitũ,
na arĩa tũtangĩmamenya kana tuone ngoro ciao.
Na tondũ wa kũhutia watho mũna nĩ tũrĩmamenyaga.
Watho nĩ gũtara maũndũ marĩa mangĩkwo wĩra mũna ũthũke.
Kwoguo angĩkorũo nĩ wĩra wa kwendia kĩndũ, ũrĩa watho wagĩrĩirũo
nĩ gwĩkĩrũo nĩ atĩ mũndũ ũkaiya kana akue kana athũkie kĩndũ kĩna
na kĩũnũhu atagũrĩte akaherithio na ihũra rĩna.
Maũndũ ta macĩo mandĩkwo tondũ ũhoro wakanua nĩũriganagĩra,
na wĩ ngarari, no wĩ mwandĩke ndũriganagĩra na ndũrĩ ngarari.
32. Gũthũkũma na athũkũmi
Gũthũkũma nĩ kũrutĩra mundũ ũngĩ wĩra, nake mũthũkũmi nĩ mũcara
aheagwo. Rĩtwa rĩu rĩa gũthũkũma rĩkuoneka ta riumanĩte na kiswahili,
‘Sukuma’ tondũ andũ arĩa mambire kũruta wĩra wa mũcara, maragirio
gĩthweri na no kinya makorũo meragwo ‘Sukuma’ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa magon-
derera.
Tondũ ũcio gũgĩtuĩka atĩ kũruta wĩra tondũ wa mũcara nĩ gũthũ-
kũma. Urĩa tũkwenda gũtereta harĩ ũhoro ũcio wa gũthũkũma nĩ atĩ:
kuona Comba nĩwokire, hatirĩ kĩgiria gĩa kũgiria andũ amwe matũre
mathũkũmaga. Tondũ ona hĩndĩ ĩrĩa tũngĩgĩa na mawĩra maitũ no
kinya naithuĩ twende andũ agũtũrutagĩra wĩra.
Ona tũngĩthoma ithuothe-ri, no kinya kũgĩe na gĩkundi kĩmwe
kĩnene kĩa andũ arĩa matangĩhota kũmenya gũthoma ona mangĩhuhĩrũo
thongori.
Nĩngĩ nĩ wega andũ mamenye atĩ rĩu ithuĩ andũ airũ tuonaga irio
tondũ wa kuma migũnda itũ, Na kũringana na ũrĩa tuonire-rĩ, nĩ
kũingĩha andũ marakĩria kũingĩha. Na maingĩha no kinya magakinya
handũ heho, irio icio ciumaga mĩgũnda itũ irege kũmaĩgana, ona ũikaro
naguo ũrege kũmaigana.
Rĩu hagĩtuĩke atĩ ũkĩendaga na ũtekwenda no kinya ũikare wĩra-inĩ
ka
na githũkũmo-inĩ o hamwe na andũ aku.
what should we do, our people?
211
And about the work we want to do, there should be laws to protect
the work from being undermined by the bad people among us, those
whose hearts we cannot discern.
By referring to a specifi c law, we will be able know them.
Th
e law punishes those things that destroy work. Concerning the
work of trading, the law should read that if anyone steals, shoplift s, or
destroys such and such a thing without buying, he will be punished in
such and such a manner.
Such things should be written down, as oral matters117 are easily
forgotten and oft en subject to disagreement. When written it cannot
be forgotten, and is not subject to disagreement.
32. Labour and labourers
Gũthũkũma is to work for someone and a mũthũkũmi is paid in wages.
Th
e word Gũthũkũma appears to have its origin from the Kiswahili
word sukuma, as the fi rst people to work for wages were spoken to in Kiswahili. Th
ey must have been told sukuma whenever they slowed
up in their work.118
Th
at is why working for wages came to be known as gũthũkũma.
What we wish to discuss is this: Just because the whites came [?to stay]
is no reason for people not to work for wages. Even when we have our
own business, we will still need people to work for us.
Even if we all become educated, there must be some who will be
unable to cope with education, even if it is blown into them.119
It is important for people to know that we black people can fi nd the
food that comes from our land, and as we have just argued, people
continue to increase. As they increase, they will get to a certain point
when the food produced from our land will not be enough for them,
just as areas for settlement [will become overcrowded].
Th
e situation will be such that you and your family will have to rely
on your education or work, whether you like it or not.
212
chapter four
Ũndũ wa mbere ũrĩa twagĩrĩirũo nĩ kũmenya ithuĩ tũrĩ andũ airũ,
nĩ atĩ Comba ndũkũinũkaga wa tĩra, wokire gũikara, na nĩ waikarire.
Rĩu-rĩ, harĩ bata ũrĩkũ kũmenana na mũndũ ũrĩa mũgũtũrania? Nĩ
tuonire handũ hangĩ thĩinĩ wa ibuku rĩrĩ atĩ Hatirĩ mũnyaka ona ũmwe
wonekaga tondũ wa kũmenana, no kĩrĩa kĩonekaga nĩ mũtino na ruo
Writing for Kenya Page 31
