When someone is jealous of another you can hear him say: ‘I do
not like seeing so and so, and do not even wish to hear him being
mentioned anywhere near me.’ On occasion people have been killed
because of jealousy.
We have seen that jealousy is produced when people measure them-
selves against others or imitate others. If it is [to do with] property, one
wants to have more than the other. Th
erefore, the desire to become
rich on one’s own brings jealousy. If we want to end jealousy, we must
stop measuring ourselves against others or imitating them. Instead of
wanting to get rich on one’s own, we should strive for all of us to get
rich. Th
at would bring jealousy to an end. Once again, we see that the
medicine for jealousy is to love each other.137
Jealousy is the enemy of people, [both of] the one who possesses it
and the other people [of whom he is jealous]. It keeps people back and
makes them poor. If they get rich they are not happy, being troubled
by the jealousy in their minds.
It is better that people love one other to end jealousy, since [even]
things like wealth and happiness can bore people. Love is one thing
that never tires, not one-sided love but love for all good things. Th
ink
about that.
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37. Gũteithia mũndũ muruaru
Andũ arĩa agima na ega mamenyekaga mũno tondũ wa tha ciao Nao
andũ arĩa matarĩ agima na oru mamenyekaga o wega tondũ wa ũrĩa
magĩte tha. Nyamũ ciothe itirĩ tha, tondũ hatirĩ ona ĩmwe ĩrĩraga atĩ
mwana wayo nĩakua tondũ ona angĩkorũo nĩ irĩraga mwarĩrie wacio
ndũĩo nĩ andũ aingĩ.
Th
a itiguagĩrũo mũndũ wĩna hinya kana gĩkeno-inĩ, no ciguagĩrũo
mũndũ wĩ ũgwati-inĩ kana ruo-inĩ o ruothe. Riu-rĩ, ũngĩkiuga atĩa
hangĩkorũo hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ eũgwati-inĩ kana ruo-inĩ o ruothe nĩguo
hekuoneka mũndũ wa gũthiĩ kũmũĩtia mbeca, kana kũmũrĩhia mbeca
nyingĩ nĩ ũndũ wa mũrimũ ũcio wake? Kana hihi tuge akamwenderia
kĩndũ goro makĩria ya hĩndĩ irĩa mũndũ ũcio ena hinya? Mũndũ ũcio
ũgũkorũo agĩka maũndũ ta macio-ri, tha ciake ciigana atĩa?
Tũkuona atĩ ndarĩ tha ona hanini, na ũndũ ũrĩa ũmũbatairie no
gũtonga hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ arakua. Tondũ ũcĩo-rĩ, he kĩrathimo
kĩrĩkũ harĩ ũtonga ũrĩa wonekete tondũ wakwenderio andũ arũaru kana
magũkua indo goro makĩria ya hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mena hinya? Ona kana harĩ
ũtonga ũrĩa ũtukanĩtio na indo ta icio?
Hatirĩ kĩrathimo ona kĩmwe, ona mwĩki wa maũndũ macio ndarĩ
tha na timũgima, kwoguo nĩ mũru.
Andũ aingĩ arĩa mena ngari ciao bũrũri-inĩ ũyũ witũ, ũguo nĩguo
mekaga. Na rĩu hihi nĩ magĩrĩirũo nĩ gũtiga gwĩka ũguo tondũ wa kuona
atĩ ti wega, na ti ũgima. No rĩrĩa mangĩrega gũtiga-rĩ, nĩ kwagĩrĩire
kũgĩe watho wa atĩ mũndũ arĩhia mũrũaru mbeca nyingĩ mũno ta
ũguo mekaga nĩ ihĩtia.
Angĩkarũo ndũngĩhota gũteithia mũndũ mũrũaru o ũguo tũhũ-rĩ,
kĩhoto nĩ kũmũrĩhia thogora wa maguta marĩa ũgũtũmira gũthiĩ na
gũcoka. Tondũ hihi ndũkiuma na bata wa gũthiĩ rũgendo rũu. Kũrĩ
andũ arĩa agima-rĩ, hatirĩ kĩndũ mũndũ mũrũaru arutaga tondũ
wagũtwarũo kwa mũndũ mũgo. Tha ciiki nĩ itũmaga mũteithania
agerie o ũrĩa ahota ahonkie muoyo wa mũrũaru gũkira atonge naguo
muoyo ũcio wehere.
38. Ũtonga na gĩtũmi kĩaguo
Ũtonga ũhana kĩhato gĩa kũhata maũndũ marĩa moru nakĩo, nĩgetha
marĩa mega mone hakũĩgũo.
what should we do, our people?
227
37. Helping the sick
Mature and good people are known by their compassion, and imma-
ture and bad people are known for their lack of compassion. Animals
lack compassion, since none cry when their babies die. If they do cry,
people do not hear their cries.
We do not feel compassion for strong or happy people but for people
in danger or in pain. What can we say when someone in danger or in
pain is asked for money [owed], or is charged [a fee] because of his
illness? Or when someone sells him something at a higher price than
when he is strong [ie., not so needy]? How compassionate is the one
who behaves like that?
He has no compassion at all. He aims to become wealthy while the
other person is dying. What kind of blessing is received, therefore, for
selling things to sick or dying people at higher prices than when they
are strong? What kind of wealth is earned in such ways? Th
ere is not
a single blessing. Anyone who does such things has no compassion, is
immature, and so is bad.
Many people who own cars in our country do such things. Th
ey
should stop doing it, since it is not good and mature. If they refuse to
stop [doing it], there should be a law making it an off ence to charge a
sick person money like that [for giving him a lift ].
If you cannot aff ord to help a sick person for free, it is fair to charge
him the cost of the petrol consumed in taking him to and from hospi-
tal. Perhaps you had not planned to take that journey. Among mature
people a sick person would pay nothing on being taken to a mundu
mugo.138 Only compassion can save a sick person’s life, not getting
rich and losing his life [sic: while charging a fee might lose him his
life].139
38. Wealth and its purposes
Wealth is like a broom, sweeping out bad things,140 to make room for
the good.
228
chapter four
Nyũmba ĩrĩa ĩhatagwo na kĩhato kĩu kĩa ũtonga nĩ mwene ũtonga
ũcio. Th
ĩna wothe ona bata wothe ũkahatwo, rĩu mwene ũtonga agai-
kara e thayũ-inĩ.
Bata ũrĩa wambaga kũninwo nĩ ũtonga nĩ wa irio na nguo na wa
gĩikaro. Ũguo nĩ kuuga atĩ gĩtonga gĩkarĩa gĩkahũna, gĩkehumba nguo
ciakũigana, na gĩkagĩa na nyũmba ya kũigana.
Indo icio ciothe igakoragwo ikĩmũigana o hamwe na andũ ake, o na
igakorũo ikĩoneka no hũthũ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ciathira.
Nĩtuonire atĩ bata wa irio wonekaga tondũ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ciaga no mũndũ
akahũta akeririria kũrĩa. Naguo bata wa nguo wonekaga tondũ hĩndĩ
ĩrĩa ciaga mũndũ nĩaiguaga heho. Na amenyera nguo ciaga akaigua
thoni.
Kwoguo ikehumbwo tondũ wa kwĩgitĩra heho na thoni. Naguo bata
wa nyũmba wonekaga tondũ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ oirĩrũo, no akerirĩria
kwĩyũa, na kwĩgitĩra nyamũ na andũ oru ndakoragwo e toro. Mũtugo
ũgakĩgĩa kuo atĩ hĩndĩ ciothe ya mbura na ya riũa na ya nduma na ya
ũtheri no kinya andũ mekomage na mahurũkage nyũmba hĩndĩ ĩrĩa
mena kahinda.
Tondũ ũcio mabata macio mothe nĩ kuga metetagwo nĩ mwĩrĩ. Tondu
rĩrĩa ũmwe wamo ũtarĩ ho, kana mothe; thina waguo no ũkaiguo.
Tondũ ũcio-rĩ, harĩ andũ ogĩ na irimũ mabataro macio marĩ ho.
Na harĩa matiganĩire nĩ atĩ andũ ogĩ mariaga irio thondeke wega na
ina gĩtũmi. N
ao andũ akĩgu makaria thũku na ingi itarĩ na gĩtũmi.
Utonga ti ũgĩ, ni amu andũ akigu matongete matuikaga ngombo cia
ũtonga ũcio wao. Andũ ogĩ mehumbaga ngou njega na theru o na cia
kũhumbĩra mwĩrĩ wothe o wega.
Nao andũ akĩgu o na matuĩka nĩ atongu makehumba nguo naĩ, igĩko,
na makarigwo nĩ gũtuma nguo wega, imwe ikahumba mwĩrĩ mwena
ũmwe, na mwena ũrĩa ũngĩ ũgatingwo njaga o na rĩngĩ mũndũ ake-
humba karũũa ka mbũri kana ka ng’ondu gakahocio na rũrigi kĩande
kĩmwe, nako gakahumbĩra mwĩrĩ mwena ũmwe naguo mwena ũrĩa
ũngĩ wothe ũgatigwo ndũũrũ.
Andũ ogĩ magaka nyũmba njega na thaka na ya gũtũũra na nene,
na ĩna ũtheri. Nao andũ arige o na mena ũtonga wao, magaka nyũmba
nyinyi na igĩko, na itarĩ ũikaro, tondũ wa kũhatĩkana na mbũri na andũ
o kinya andũ acio makarigwo oo na mbũri nũũ mũnene, o na kana
nũũ mwene nyũmba ĩo.
Na ningĩ thutha wa maũndũ macio mothe ĩkaiyũrũo nĩ nduma na
mũrukĩ mũũru tondũ wa mathugumo na mai na mbũri.
what should we do, our people?
229
Th
e house swept by this broom of wealth is owned by a man of wealth.
All the poverty is swept away, and the rich man is left in peace.141
Wealth fi rst sweeps away the need for food, clothes and shelter. Th
e
wealthy eats to satisfaction, gets enough clothes and has adequate shel-
ter. All things satisfy him and his family, and are easily acquired.
Food is needed because when there is no food, one gets hungry and
desires to eat. Clothes are needed because when there are no clothes, one
feels cold. When one lacks clothes completely, one feels embarrassed.
Clothes are worn to shield oneself from cold and embarrassment.
A house is needed because when rains fall on somebody, he desires to
shield himself from it, and from the animals and evil people who can
kill him while he sleeps. So a tradition develops that during times of
rain and sun, and times of darkness and light, people must sleep in a
house whenever there is time.
Th
e body has all these necessities. When one or all of them is lack-
ing, one feels its need.
Both intelligent and foolish people have these needs. Th
e diff erence is
that intelligent people eat well-cooked food with a purpose. Th
e foolish
eat badly-cooked food without a purpose.
Wealth is not wisdom.142 When foolish people get rich, they become
slaves to their wealth. Wise people put on good, clean clothes that cover
them properly.
Even if foolish people are wealthy, they put on off ensive, unclean
clothes that are not properly designed. One covers part of the body,
while another part is left naked. One wears a sheep or goat skin which
is suspended from one side, and therefore covers only one side of the
body while the other is left naked.
Wise people build beautiful, big, long-lasting and well-lit houses.
Foolish people, even rich ones, build small, untidy houses without
enough space. [Th
ese houses] are shared by goats and people, to the
point where people do not know if they or the goats own the house.
On top all that, the house is dark and fi lled with a bad stench because
of the goat’s urine.
230
chapter four
Ngwĩciria Agĩkũyũ aingĩ no maigue ũru tondũ wa ũhoro ũyũ, tondũ
wakũmenya ũguo nĩguo mekaga tene. Na moige atĩ mwandĩki nĩ
ekũmamenithia hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ekwandĩka maũndũ ta maya. Tondũ maũndũ
macio mamwe marĩ okuo na andũ amwe aitũ.
Nake mwandĩki no acokerie acio mekuga ũguo ũũ. Atĩ hatirĩ gitũmi
gĩa kũhitha ũndũ mũru hĩndĩ ĩrĩa warĩkia kũmenya nĩ mũru. Tondũ
kũhitha kuonekaga o hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ atarĩ aramenya ũndũ mwega
na mũru nĩ ũrĩkũ.
No arĩkia kũmenya rĩ, ekaga ũrĩa ona wega gwĩka, na ndatindaga
agĩtanga tondũ wa maũndũ marĩa ekaga tene atanamenya wega na ũru.
No ũrĩa ekaga nĩ kũgeria kuongerera maũndũ mega. No angĩkorũo
egwĩtanga na maũndũ macio atũire ekaga na akiugaga nĩ mega. Ṇĩ
kuga atĩ ndarĩ aramenya wega harĩa arĩ na ithenya rĩa gũthiĩ na mbere
kũringana na gũtanya gwitũ, no na thutha aracoka agĩciria atĩ kwĩ hĩndĩ
ĩgacoka twĩhumbage ithii na tũkomanagie nyũmba ĩmwe na mbũri,
ona ningĩ agĩciria atĩ hihi Comba nĩ ũkainũka. Angĩkorũo we mũthomi
wakwa nĩguo wĩciragia rĩ, ririkana atĩ maũndũ macio wĩciragia nĩguo
ũhorerie ngoro yaku. No ũguo tiguo maũndũ magaikara, no kinya
makahana ma Comba, na menda gũkĩra ma Comba mamakĩre, hĩndĩ
ĩrĩa tũkamenya atĩ njĩra ya na mbere nĩ ĩno na ya na thutha nĩ ĩno.
Kũrĩa tũgakinya, ona ũgĩ ũrĩa tũkagĩa naguo ona manyũmba marĩa
manene tũgaka hatirĩ mũndũ wĩ muoyo matukũ maya tũrĩ ũngihota
kũmenya ũrĩa makahana, No Ngai ũrĩa wĩ muoyo ũ moĩ. Wĩra witũ
ithuĩ arĩa twĩ muoyo nĩ kũgeria kuonereria o hanini mũno atĩ njĩra ya
gũthiĩ na mbere nĩ ĩno. Na mũtirimawa gũthiĩ naguo nĩguo ũyũ, nacio
ciana ciitũ, kũria igakinya ona kĩrĩa ikona tũtigakorũo muoyo tũmenye
nĩ kĩĩ kana nĩatĩa.
Rĩu reke tũcokere ndeto itũ harĩa tũmĩtigĩire tuge atĩrĩrĩ:—Ũguo
nĩguo andũ ogĩ na akĩgu matiganĩte harĩ ũhoro wa irio, na na nguo,
na nyũmba o iria othe moĩ bata wacio.
Naguo ũtonga wao ũhũthagĩrũo na mabataro macio mao.
Maakinya hau-rĩ, andũ akĩgu magatigwo na thutha nokĩgu wao,
magagĩkaga ciĩko itarĩ ng’ima ona matarĩ na ngoro ya kwenda kana
ũrũme wa kwenda kũmenya maũndũ mega nĩ marĩkũ, na maũndũ
moru nĩ marĩkũ.
Na tondũ wothayo ũcio ũngĩmorĩa kĩrĩa kĩagiragia meke ciĩko njega,
no magagũcokeria atĩrĩri: Nĩ ‘ũhoro wa Ngai’, mageterera atĩ Ngai aka-
marehere ũgĩ wa maũndũ mothe o ũguo wĩ mũgima matanogeire ona
hanini tondũ worĩa mathũrĩte kũnoga ũhoro-inĩ wa gwĩciria. Kũringana
na ũrĩa tũrathoma mũno ibuku-inĩ rĩrĩ.
what should we do, our people?
231
Perhaps many Agikuyu will feel off ended by this argument, knowing
what they used to do in the past. Th
ey may say the writer is bringing
them into disrepute143 when he writes of such matters, since some of
our people still follow such ways.
Th
e writer can reply to those who talk like this: ‘Th
ere’s no need to
hide something bad when you learn that it’s bad. You only hide some-
thing when you do not know the diff erence between good and bad.’
Once someone does know, he does what he thinks is good, and is not
troubled by what he used to do in the past, when he did not diff erenti-
ate between good and bad. What he does is increase the good things.
But if he is troubled by the good things he has been doing, it means
he is not quite sure where he stands. Instead of moving forward, he
just moves backward, thinking that a time will come when we will go
back to wearing animal skins and sleep
ing in the same house as [one’s]
goats. He thinks that the ‘white strangers’144 will return to their country.
If perhaps you, my reader, think in this way, know that those thoughts
diminish your spirit. For that is now the way things will be—they will
be just as the ‘white strangers’ have arranged. And in that future time,
we will know that the road to progress is this one, and the one leading
backward is that one.145
No one living today knows from where or how much knowledge we
will get in future, nor what kind of houses we will live in. Only the liv-
ing God knows. Th
e work of our generation is to try to show the path
forward, and the staff with which to walk. We will not know where or
what our children will get, since we will not be alive.
Let us take our discussion back to where we left it and say: Intelligent
and foolish people diff er on matters pertaining to food, clothes, and
housing.
Th
eir wealth is used to cater for their needs.
Th
e foolish people are left with their foolishness, they do immature
deeds without the desire or courage to distinguish between good and
bad.
Because of their foolishness, if you ask them why they never do
good deeds, they will answer: ‘that is God’s aff air’. Th
ey wait for God
to give them wisdom without working for it, because they hate tiring
themselves in thought, as we have already read in this book.
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chapter four
Na tondũ ũcio-rĩ, andũ ogĩ magathiĩ na mbere makaigua ng’aragu
ya maũndũ maingĩ. Namo nĩ ũthaka harĩ maũndũ mo mene, kana harĩ
ũthaka guo mwene. Na harĩ njĩra kana ciĩga iria ithano tuonire igeraga
ũmenyo wa mũndũ.
Makamenya atĩ maitho mao mena ng’aragu ya kuonai ndo njega
kana thaka, kwoguo makahanda mahũa nyũmba-inĩ ciao. Magathakaria
nyũmba na riri mũingĩ. Na maũndũ mothe ona mawĩra mao mothe
magatuĩka magũkenia maitho. Nayo ngoro igakeno tondũ wa kuona
indo thaka ũguo.
Hĩndĩ ngoro ĩtangĩkena tondũ wa maũndũ macio mathaka no
hakorirũo atĩ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ũrerorera mahũa, kana o ũndũ ũngĩ mwega
ndũreciria ũhoro wa ũthaka ũcio. Na ũreciria ũhoro wa kũrĩa kana
wa ũndũ ũngĩ.
Meciria maitũ mombĩtwo magĩagwo nĩ ũndũ ũmwe o ihinda rĩmwe.
Na tondũ ũcio-rĩ, ndũngĩhota kuona wega wa maũndũ maingĩ o ihinda
Writing for Kenya Page 34
