rũingĩ harĩ amenani acio na makĩria harĩ mwena ũrĩa ũtarĩ na ninya.
Na tũngĩrora hinya wĩtũ na wa Comba-ri no tuone atĩ nĩ ithuĩ tũtari
hinya, na ũguo nĩ kuga atĩ nĩ ithuĩ tũrĩgĩaga na mũtino na ruo rũingĩ.
Tũgakĩona atĩ nĩ wĩra witũ gũcaria ũrĩa rũmena rũngĩaga kuoneka,
kana kũrũnina harĩa rũrĩ rũngĩkorũo rwiho. gĩtũmi kĩa rũthire no
tũgĩire na ũmenyo wa atĩ he kĩndũ kĩngĩ kĩega kĩ mbere ya kũmenana
kana gũthũrana, na nĩkĩo ũiguano, ka kũmenya mabataro ma mũndũ
ũrĩa ũngi.
Ithuĩ tũmenye mabataro ma Comba, naguo Comba ũmenye mabataro
maitũ. Na tũgerie kũmanina mabata macio na njĩra ya kũmarutira wĩra
kũringana na ũrĩa megũkorũo makĩenda, na mũndũ witũ o wothe rĩrĩa
ekũruta wĩra ona ũrĩkũ, wa karani, wa kũruga, wa kũmahe irio kana
wa kũmathabĩria nguo. arute wĩra ũcio na hinya na wendo na mũndũ
atige kwenda kũrĩithio ta arĩ mbũri, kana kuga ũrĩa andũ aingĩ moigaga
atĩ wĩra nĩ wa mũthũngũ ndũgathira nĩũrutwo na thieya.
33. Mũtugo ũrĩa wĩkuo na andũ anyinyi
Angĩkorũo nĩũthomete ibuku rĩrĩ kuma kĩambĩrĩria-rĩ, no ũririkana
atĩ hĩndĩ ũrĩa tũ gũteretaga ũhoro wa ‘Kwendia Na Endia’, nĩtugire atĩ;
rũrĩrĩ rũa kũmenyera mũtugo mũru, na hage ũmwe wao wa kũmera
ũguo nĩũru, rũrĩrĩ rũu rũahota gũtũra mĩaka mĩingĩ rũtarĩ rũarahũka,
tondũ mũtugo ũcio no ũmatũrie thutha ndũrĩrĩ iria ingĩ.
Ningĩ atĩrĩrĩ, thĩinĩ wa ndũrĩrĩ ciothe ciathĩ-rĩ, harĩ mutugo wa andũ
anyinyi, na mũtugo wa andũ akũrũ No rũrĩrĩ rũa kwĩamũra-rĩ, rũtukanie
mĩtugo ĩyo yothe-rĩ mũtugo wa andũ akũrũ ũnyitwo nĩ andũ anyinyi,
nao andũ akũrũ manyite mũtugo wa andũ anyinyi. Rũrĩrĩ rũu-rĩ rũahota
gũtuĩka rũagĩrĩru? Ona kana rũũgĩ?
Nĩngĩ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa tũgũteretaga ũhoro wa gĩtũmi kĩa mahoya na
gwĩtĩkia-rĩ, nĩtuonire atĩ mũndũ mũkĩgu ndahotaga kũigua ona kana
gũthikĩrĩria ũhoro o wothe ũtamũkoniĩ takũrĩa na kũnywa. Rĩu twahota
gũthiathia nahau kabere tuge atĩrĩrĩ: mũndũ mũkĩgu ekwenda ũndũ,
nĩendire, na hatirĩ mũndũ ona ũmwe ũngĩhota kũmwĩra ũguo tiwega
what should we do, our people?
213
Th
e fi rst thing we who are black people should understand is that
the Whites120 came to stay, and are here to stay. Why therefore should
you hate the fellow you will spend the rest of your life with? We saw
earlier that hatred brings no benefi t. Disaster and much pain result
among those who hate each other, especially among the weak.
If we compare our strength with that of the whites, we will see that
we are the ones who would face disaster and much pain.
It is up to us to see that there is no hatred, and end it wherever it may
be. For it to end, we have to know that there is something better than
hatred. Th
at is unity and the ability to know other people’s needs.
We should know the needs of the whites, and they should know
ours. We should try to meet these needs by working on them. When
any of us works for them, whether as a clerk, or by cooking, feeding
them, or washing their clothes, he should work hard and with love.
Nobody should need to be shepherded like a sheep. He should stop
saying that the work of the whites will never end, and should therefore
be done reluctantly.121
33. Young people and their behaviour today
If you have been reading this book from the start, you will remember
that when we discussed trade and traders, we said that ‘If a commu-
nity gets used to bad behaviour and no one tells them it is bad, that
community may stay for a long time before it gets enlightened. Such
behaviour may drag them behind other communities.’
Among the communities in the world, there is diff erent behaviour
for young and old. A community that sets itself apart mixes up these
two behaviours—the old take on the behaviour of the young, and the
young take on that of the old. Can such a community ever be decent122
or even mature?
When we talked of prayers and belief, we saw that a foolish person
cannot hear or listen to anything of less importance to him than eat-
ing and drinking. Now we can go further and say: ‘Once a foolish
person loves something, he sticks to it and no one can convince him
otherwise. A good thing is that which benefi ts someone, a bad thing
214
chapter four
etĩkie. Wega wa ũndũ nĩũrĩa ũrehagire mũndũ kĩguni, na ũru wa ũndũ
nĩ ũrĩa ũrehagĩre mũndũ mũtino. Mũndũ mũkĩgu etikagia o hĩndĩ ĩrĩa
ona mũtino ũcio we mwene.
Matukũ-inĩ maya-rĩ, nĩkũrĩ na mĩtugo mĩingĩ mũno mĩũru ĩrekwo
nĩ andũ, na mangĩthiĩ oro ũguo, thutha hihi rũrĩrĩ rũitũ rũahota kuona
thĩna.
Tareka tuone mũtugo ũrĩa wĩna andũ anyinyi matukũ maya. Tene
njohi yanyuagwo nĩ athuri kana andũ akũrũ othe, na andũ anyinyi
matirmĩnyuaga, na gĩtũmi kĩrĩa kĩagiragia andũ anyinyi manyue njohi
nĩ rĩrĩ: kwarĩ ũgwati wa mbara ya Ũkabi na korũo andũ anyinyi nĩ
manyuaga njohi-rĩ nĩkwahoteka mũthenya ũmwe makorũo marĩtwo nĩ
thũ ciao kabi, maninwo hamwe othe akũrũ na anyinyi, ciana na atumia,
o hamwe na airĩtu arĩa makoragwo arĩo mwĩhoko wa andũ anyinyi, ota
ũrĩa rĩu marĩ o mwĩhoko wao.
Tondũ rĩrĩ, ũngĩona mwanake ũtarĩ na tha na mũirĩtu ũrĩa endete,
akoiga mũirĩtu ũcio enda kũhũrũo nĩ anake angĩ nĩahũrũo-rĩ na enda
kuona ũgwati ũrĩa arĩona nĩone; mwanake ũcio-ri, ti mũndũ, no nĩ
nyamũ ikaaria. Ndũrĩrĩ ciothe harĩa ciarũ ma, njamba ciacio ime-
nyekaga tondũ wa wendo ũrĩa ikoragwo ikĩgitĩra andũ-anja ao naguo.
Na wendo ũcio rĩ, nĩ mũnene gũkĩra muoyo wa mũndũ guo mwene,
tondũ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ũngĩkora mũirĩtu ũcio wendete akĩhũrũo, wahota
kũragwo ũkĩmũhonokia ũgwati-nĩ ũcio.
No matukũ maya-rĩ, andũ aingĩ arĩa anyinyi, makĩria arĩa ogĩ na
gĩthomo, mũtugo ũrĩa marũmĩtie mũno nĩ wa kũnyua njohi o kinya
gũgatuĩka atĩ ũngĩkorũo ũrĩ ũmwe wao, na ũrege kũnyuo njohi tao,
ũgwĩtwo mũkĩgu, naũkorio atĩrĩrĩ, ũkĩregete njohi-rĩ nĩ gĩkeno kĩngĩ
kĩrĩkũ ũkona?
Kinya andũ aingĩ anyinyi arĩa mekuma na cukuru, moka mawĩra-inĩ,
na mona mũtugo ũrĩa wĩkuo, nao makanyitana naguo tondũ noyo njira
ĩragerũo nĩ andũ arĩa angĩ othe.
Gũgatuĩka atĩrĩrĩ, matukũ maya mũndũ mũnyinyi kwaga kũnyua njohi
nĩ ũrimũ, na kũnyua njohi nĩ ũgĩ, ũguo nĩguo andũ aingĩ metĩkĩtie.
Tũngĩoya gĩthimi Kĩrĩa giitũ kĩa ũgĩ na ũkĩgu tũgwetire tũkiaria ũhoro
wa ‘ũgĩ na ũrimũ-rĩ, no tũthime tũmenye kana ũhoro ũcio wao nĩ wama
wa atĩ kũnyua njohi nĩ ũgĩ, akorũo ti wa ma tũũtige na tũambĩrĩrie kũgĩa
na mũtugo mwega, ũrĩa gĩtũmi kĩu gĩgũtuonereria. Nakĩo nĩ gĩkĩ: Ati
kũĩhga nĩ kũmenya maũndũ mega na kũmenya gĩtũmi kĩamo. Na gũkĩga
nĩ kwenda maũndũ moru na kũrigwo nĩ gĩtũmi
kĩa wega na ũru.
what should we do, our people?
215
brings misfortune. A foolish person believes [this] only when faced
with certain misfortune.’
Nowadays, people have many bad manners. If they continue in this
way, our community will face many problems.
Let us look at the behaviour of our people today. In the past, all
elderly people drank beer but the young did not. Th
e young never took
beer because of the danger of war with the Masai, for if they did take
beer and got drunk, they might be attacked by their enemy, the Masai.
Everyone, the old, young children, women, and the girls who were and
are today the hope of the young men, would be eliminated.
If you fi nd a man with no compassion for the girl he loves, who says
he does not care even if she is beaten or exposed to danger, that man is
not human but an animal that talks. Among all human races, heroes123
are known by their readiness to protect their women. Th
at love is more
than one’s life, since if you fi nd the girl you love is being beaten up,
you may get killed as you try to rescue her from danger.
Th
ese days, the young, especially the educated, have started drinking
beer to the point that if you refuse to drink like the others, you will
be branded as stupid. You are asked, ‘If you refuse to take beer, what
other kind of happiness are you waiting for?’
Even youths who leave school, once they are employed and learn
this behaviour, take it up because it is fashionable.
So it is said that if a young man does not drink beer, it is foolish-
ness and to drink beer is intelligence. Th
at is what many people believe
today.124
If we take the yardstick we used to measure intelligence and foolish-
ness, we can see if what they say is true, that taking beer is intelligence.
If it is not true, we will leave it and start to behave well, in the way that reason guides us. Th
is is why: ‘To be intelligent is to know good things
and to know the reason for them. And to be foolish is love bad things,
and to fail to know the diff erence between good and bad.’
Now, let us take the wisdom of taking beer. What is the good in
it? Th
e good in beer is that when someone is drunk, he feels a good
sensation in his body and is fi lled with happiness. He forgets all his
problems, remembers only his happiness, and can speak about many
things he was unable to talk about when sober. He becomes destructive.
If he works for a white man, he will run down the work and, similarly,
run down his own business.
216
chapter four
Rĩu tareke tũkĩrehe ũgĩ wa kũnyua njohi. Njohi-rĩ, wega wayo
nĩũrĩkũ? Wega wa njohi nĩ rĩrĩ: Atĩ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ aritwo nĩaiguaga
wega mũno mwĩrĩ-inĩ wake akaiyũrũo nĩ gĩkeno kĩingĩ, akariganĩrũo
nĩ thĩna wake wothe, agatuĩka atĩ kĩndũ kĩrĩa ekũririkana no gĩkeno na
kwaria maũndũ maingĩ atangĩaririe hĩndĩ ĩrĩa atekũnyuĩte njohi, akagera
ngero nyingĩ, akorũo nĩ wĩra wa Comba aingi makaũthũkia, akorũo nĩ
wĩra wake we mwene, wa biashara, angĩ o naguo makaũthũkia.
Magatũmĩra mbeca nyingĩ iria megũkorũo manogeire mũno, o kinya
hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ arĩrĩ-ũkũo akambĩrĩria kwĩrira, na kuga ũrĩa njohi
ĩnjuru we mwene.
Rĩu-rĩ, angĩkorũo kũhĩga nĩ kwenda maũndũ mega na kũmenya
gĩtũmi kĩamorĩ, wega we njohi ũkĩrĩha? Ningĩ gĩtũmi kĩayo kĩha
kũringana na maũndũ macio mothe twagweta?
Ĩtũngĩkiuga gũkĩga nĩ kwenda maũndũ moru na kũrigwo nĩ gĩtũmi
kĩa wega na ũru? Gĩthĩ to tuone atĩ andũ acio nĩarige nĩ gĩtũmi kĩa
wega na ũru harĩa irĩ, na kwoguo nĩ akĩgu?
No rĩrĩ, hihi njohi ĩĩ wega wayo tondũ korũo ndĩrĩ wega ũcio ndĩn-
gĩnyuagwo nĩ andũ othe athĩ handũ marũma, na hihi ũru wonekaga
tondũ wa gũtũmirũo na njĩra yokĩgu.
Tondũ ona mũthaiga wa kũhonia mũrimũ mũna, ũngĩnyuo makĩria
ya watho no ũrage mũndũ, naguo ũguo noguo tũngiuga harĩ ũhoro wa
njohi. Na rĩu tũmenye atĩ ti ũkĩgu kwaga kũnyua njohi, na nĩ wega andũ
anyinyi kũgeria kwaga kũnyua njohi, tondũ wa wega wa mĩĩrĩ yao, wa
meciria mao, ona ũgima wao maũndũinĩ mothe.
Ũngĩikara wĩiguĩte-rĩ na ũgĩciragia-rĩ, no wone atĩ kwĩ ũgwati ota ũcio
wa andũ a tene. Na andũ anyinyi mangĩaga kwĩhũga rĩu-rĩ, ona makũra
matikehũga. Na magakorũo nĩ thũ yao, imanine hamwe na atumia ao,
na ciana ciao, na airĩtu ao, o kinya hĩndĩ ĩo niguo makamenyaga atĩ harĩ
ũgwati gũikara merigĩtwo, na hĩndĩ ĩo ĩgakorũo arĩ thutha mũtheri.
34. Andũ erũ na ũrĩa tũngĩruta maundũ kuma kũrĩo
Th
ĩinĩ wa ibuku rĩrĩ-rĩ, nĩ tũteretete o makĩria ũrĩa gũthũrana kũrĩ
kũru. Na tondũ ũcio-rĩ, tareke tuone thĩna ũngĩ wonekaga tondũ wa
rũthũro o rũu.
Ũngĩmena mũndũ namo maũndũ make mothe ona ciugo ciake no
ũcimene. Tondũ ũrĩa wothe arĩkaga, kana arĩkwĩraga ũrĩciragia no ũru.
Akwĩra ũndũ mwega ũkoiga nĩ maheni, kana ũkoiga nĩ kĩndũ abatairio
nĩkĩo kuma harĩ we.
what should we do, our people?
217
Th
ey spend a lot of the money they have worked hard to earn,
until [they] sober up and start to regret [their] actions, saying how
bad beer is.
Now, if being intelligent is to love good things and to know the reason
for them, where is the good in beer? Further, where is its justifi cation
according to all the things we have discussed?
What if we say that to be foolish is to love bad things and to fail to
diff erentiate between good and bad? Cannot we say that such people
do not know the diff erence between the meaning of good and bad, and
are therefore foolish?
Perhaps beer has a value, for if it had none it would not be drunk
by people the whole world over. Perhaps the bad things about it come
from its improper use.
Even when a drug for curing a certain disease is taken beyond its
prescribed dose, it can kill. We may say the same with beer. We know
it is not foolish not to take beer, and it is good for young people to try
not to take beer for the sake of their bodies, their minds, and even for
the health of all they do.
If you remain conscious125 and sensible, you will see there is a danger
here just like the one described above, faced by people in the past. If
the youth do not take care now, they will not take care of themselves
when old. Th
ey will be invaded by their enemy and wiped out, along
with their women, children and girls. Th
ey will then learn there is a
danger in remaining irresponsible—but too late.
34. White people and what we can learn from them 126
In this book, we have discussed at length how bad hatred is. Let us
learn other problems that arise from hatred.
Once you hate someone, you also hate all his things, including his
words. For you will think that whatever h
e does or tells you is bad.
When he tells you something good, you will say it is lies, or that he is
simply interested in getting something out of you.
218
chapter four
Tũgakĩona atĩ, gũthũrana o oguothe nĩ njĩra ya gũkunderia meciria.
Tondũ rĩrĩ, mũndũ angĩikara akĩmenaga andũ o ũmwe ũmwe, na indo
o kimwe kĩmwe, rĩrĩ rĩngĩ no amene indo ciothe, na andũ othe, Rĩu
onake mwene eyagĩre bata eite kana eyũrage na njĩra ĩngĩ.
Nakuo kwendana kana kwenda maũndũ nĩ njĩra ya kwaramia meciria.
Tondũ rĩrĩ, mũndũ angĩikara akĩendaga andũ o ũmwe ũmwe, na indo
o kĩmwe kĩmwe, na akĩmenyaga gĩtũmi na wega wa andũ arĩa angĩ, na
wega wa indo, na maũndũ marĩa mega, no aiyũroũ nĩ gĩkeno kĩnene
mũno.
Tondũ worĩa ekuona bũrũri-inĩ ũiyũrĩtwo nĩ maũndũ maingĩ mega,
indo nyingĩ njega andũ aingĩ aratawe, na maũndũ maingĩ mathaka
na mena riri mũingĩ, wa kũmũkenia o kinya eriragĩrie korũo Ngai
nĩekũmuongerera matukũ maingĩ aikare muoyo, nĩgetha akenagio nĩ
mwago ũcio wothe.
Tũgũkĩona atĩ gũthũrana na gĩkuũ imwena ũmwe. Na kwendana
na muoyo imwena ũrĩa ũngĩ, na nĩ tugire atĩ maũndũ mothe marĩa
mangĩtũma tũikare muoyo na tũgĩe na gĩkeno nĩ mega, na nĩmo
twagĩrĩirũo nĩ gũcaria, na tondũ ũcio kwendana na kwenda maũndũ
mega, nĩ ũndũ wa gũtũma tũikare muoyo na tondũ ũcio nĩ twagĩrĩirũo
nĩ kwendana na kwenda maũndũ mega, nĩgetha tũikare muoyo.
Tũgakĩona atĩ tũngĩhingũra maitho maitũ, na tweherie rũthũro
meciria-inĩ maitũ, no tuone atĩ andũ aya erũ nĩ andũ akũgegania
mũno, na maũndũ maingĩ mao mahota gũtũguna mũno, ona ningĩ
tũcoke tuone atĩ hatirĩ ũndũ ona ũmwe tũngĩhota gwĩka hatarĩ ũteithio
wao, korũo tuona ũrĩa ũrata witũ nao ũngĩoneka makĩria matukũ-inĩ
maya.
Tondũ rĩrĩ, ithuothe nĩ tũũĩ atĩ gĩthomo nĩ kĩega, no hatirĩ gĩthomo
kĩa andũ airũ, no kĩa andũ erũ. Na ũgĩ ũrĩa ũngĩoneka wa andũ airũ,
no wonekire na njĩra ya kwamba kwĩruta ũgĩ wa andũ erũ.
Tondũ rĩrĩ, angikorũo nĩ ũkuona ndeto ici irario ibuku-inĩ rĩrĩ
injega-rĩ, ona icia andũ aingĩ aratawe, na maũndũ maingĩ mathaka
na mena riri mũingĩ, wa kũmũkenia o kinya eriragĩrie korũo Ngai
Writing for Kenya Page 32
