told them ‘No’. But Kenyatta told us it was the fi rst time one person
had twice made a correct forecast on the same ship.
Th
at is why I said earlier that Kenyatta has a mind like a witchdoc-
tor’s. Moreover, in advanced countries like Europe, where Kenyatta
had lived, writers are regarded in the same way as Africans regard their
witchdoctors. Kenyatta is also a writer in his own right. Th
e reason
for [giving] such respect to writers is because what they write in their
own time, is usually found by the next generation to be true in later
years. So Kenyatta, being a writer of books, is also a witchdoctor. And
if we take to believing his advice, there would be no stopping us from
gaining more benefi t from it or from him.40
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(9) Irio Cia Muthenya
Th
utha hanini thaa cia irio igikinya, tugithii nyumba ya irio nakuo kuu
irio ikiheanwo githungu. Nacio irio ciagurithitio ni ciama cia andu
airu a mihiriga ina amwe a aria maikataga Mombasa, Kikuyu General
Union. Nyanza Province Association na Uganda African Association.
macio nimo mariitwa ma ciama ria cianyitire muthuri ti Kinyatta ugeni
hindi ya muthenya wa mbere akinya Mombasa. Na andu othe aria
moimite Nairobi na andu amwe a ciama icio nimarianiire irio icio me
hamwe, nao othe mari ta andu mirongo ina, atumia na arume. Hindi
iria Kinyatta aari kuu. Hutiri-ini thaa cia irio itanakinya niguo andu
gikundi kinene muno ta ngiri igiri mokire makiiyura hau nja makienda
kumouna, akiuma nja hau mwari akimageithi, na akimera ati nimeku-
onana nake kirabu-ini ki Railway kuu Mombasa tondu niguo atongoria
a ciama icio cia munyite ugeni matabariire.
Irio ciarikia na guthira, niguo muthuri ti James Beautah acokeire andu
othe Ngatho, ni amu muthuri ucio ti Beautah niwe wari mutongoria wa
andu aria moimite Nairobi, agikimenyithia ati nigikeno kinene tondu
wa Ngai gwitikira agatuonania na mundu ucio witu thutha wa miaka
ikumi na itano, agicoka akiuga at Kinyatta niekwaria ciugo nyinyi.
Muthuri ti Kinyatta akirugama akiuga atiri na githweri. ‘Ndina
ngatho muno tondu wa Ngai kuhotithia kuonana na inyui hindi ino
na makirin ya uguo ndina gikeno tondu wa gucoka bururi uria nii
ndaciariiruo. Ngumwira nama ati ruci-ini hindi iria gukiire, ni nyu-
mire nja ndacuthiriria bururi uyu ndaciariiruo, na hindi iria ndiwonire
maithori maitika’.
‘Tiwega ithui andu airu gwiciria uhoro wa umihiriga, kiria kina bata
nigwiciria uhoro wa ugima na uhoreri wa ngoro, na ugie na uiguano
na ningi twende na tutie gikonde giitu kiiru. Nii ndi Mugikuyu, no
ruriri ruakwa rua Agikuyu ni runyinyi muno, riu uria twagiriiruo ni
gwika ni kwendana tutekurania ucio nuu nigetha tuoe bururi witu wa
andu airu na iguru. Nguga o ringi ati ni ngatho muno, na uhoro ucio
ngwaria ndina ngoro yakwa yothe, na ati tuhoe Ngai tugie na hinya
wagutungatira bururi witu ucio Ngai atuhete’.
Aarikia kwaria maundu macio, agiikara thi.
Nao andu aria angi maririe ni muthuri ugwitwo Hamisi Bin Baraka
munene wa kiama kia Nyanza Province Association agicokeria Kinyatta
ngatho, na akiuga ati Ngai atuteithie tutuike ta andu a nyina umwe.
Nake Lilian Njeri akiaria ciugo njega cia kuga ati ona atumia niwega
marahuke matungatire bururi o undu umwe na arume. Mutumia wa
the home coming of our great hero jomo kenyatta
273
(9) Th
e Midday Lunch
Aft er a little while, the time for the midday lunch arrived. We moved to
another room where the food was served. All was prepared according to
English custom. Before we could get to grips with it, we were told the
lunch had been paid for by four African Associations. Th
ey were the
Kikuyu General Union, Nyanza Province Association, Uganda African
Association and the Africans whose homes were in Mombasa. Th
ese
were the groups that welcomed Kenyatta as their honoured guest on
his fi rst day in Mombasa.
All the members of the welcoming committee from Nairobi as well
as others living in Mombasa were there to take part in the lunch. At
table were members of the political associations responsible for provid-
ing the lunch. Th
ere were about forty people, including the men and
women guests.
While Kenyatta was still waiting and resting before lunch, a large
crowd of Africans assembled outside his Hotel—over two thousand
men and women from all East African tribes. Th
ey said that all they
wanted was to see Jomo Kenyatta. When Kenyatta was told, he came
out of the Hotel and went straight to them and began to greet as many
of them as possible. He also told them that they were going to see each
other at the Railway Club that aft ernoon, at the meeting arranged by
the African political groups who had invited him that day. So saying,
he went back to the Hotel.
Aft er lunch, Mr James Beauttah, the leader of the welcoming com-
mittee, off ered his thanks for it. He told those present that it was a
great joy and thanks to God for enabling us all to meet our honoured
guest, whom we had not been able to see for the past fi ft een years. He
then said Kenyatta would say few words to them.
Kenyatta’s First Words Since His Return
Kenyatta stood up to give his fi rst little speech since his arrival that
morning, speaking in Swahili to all of them:
‘I’m very happy and grateful indeed to God for enabling me to see
you today. Above all I’m delighted to return to the country where I was
born. I want to tell you the truth, which is that this morning, towards
dawn, I woke up and came out of my cabin and gazed at this country
where I was born. When I saw it, tears began to fl ow from my eyes.
‘Another thing I’d like to say is that it is no good for we Africans
to keep on thinking in terms of tribes.41 What is more important is to
think in terms of adulthood and benevolence in our hearts. To acquire
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chapter five
Mujaluo agicoka akiaria agicokia ngatho na akiuga Ngai ahoyuo andu
airu mendane o na ningi acokerio ngatho tondu wa kuinukia mugeni
ucio witu utuire bururi ucio munene.
Th
utha wa andu aingı kwarangia miario ta io yagucokia ngatho,
andu makiuma kuu Hutiri-ini io igwitwa Britania mak haragania,
Kinyatta makihaica mutokaa mena athuri angi magith guceranga itura
ria Mombasa.
(10) Mucemanio Munene Th
ingira-ini Wa Railway
Th
aa ikumi ciakinya andu aingi muno magicemania thingira-ini ucio
wa andu a Railway. Nao andu aria maari hau nimakiria ngiri itha-
thatu. Tondu maiyurite nyumba, na makarigiciri [???] guothe tondu
ucio gutiaiguikaga wega tondu wa andu aci [???] nja makienda kuona
Kinyatta makaga ha kugera.
No hindi iria Kinyatta atonyire thingira-ini ucio andu makirugama
o wega.
the home coming of our great hero jomo kenyatta
275
unity, to love our black skins. I myself am a Kikuyu, but my Ki
kuyu
tribe is composed of only a few people. So, what we ought to do is to
love one another without discrimination as to who is this [or that], so
that we will be able to uplift our country and our African people in a
manner that makes us move forward.
‘I would like to say once again, thank you very much. I can assure
you that I’m speaking to you from the bottom of my heart. Let’s pray
God to give us the strength to serve our country which He gave us.’
Aft er so saying Kenyatta sat down.
Th
e Support He Was Given
Th
e next person to speak was from Mombasa, called Hamisi Bin Baraka.
As well as the chairman of the Nyanza Province Association, he thanked
Kenyatta for his good words and said he wished God could help all of
us to act like people of one mother.
Th
en it was the turn of Lilian Njeri, who said that even women ought
to be fully awake so that they could serve their country like their men
folk. Another speaker was a Luo woman who off ered her thanks and
said prayers should be said to God so that Africans could love one
another. She also thanked God for enabling our guest to return home
from a far-off country where he had been for many years. Aft er other
people had spoken in support of Kenyatta and thanked him for his
wise words, the time for midday lunch was over.
Th
e invited guests left the Hotel peacefully, thankful for a lovely
lunch. Kenyatta and his friends got into the car and were taken for a
sight-seeing trip around Mombasa Town.
(10) ‘All Human Brains are the Same’: Kenyatta 42
At four o’clock in the aft ernoon, a lot of people had already assembled
at the Railway Club. Th
e number of Africans sitting inside the build-
ing as well as those standing outside was more than six thousand. Th
e
noise they made was deafening, as those standing outside wanted to get
in, to see Kenyatta. But there was not enough room to accommodate
them since those already inside fi lled every available space, [the Club]
was full to the capacity.
When Kenyatta entered, everybody inside stood up as a mark of
respect. The Chairman of the Kikuyu General Union, one of the
organisers, announced the meeting’s timetable. Th
en it was time for
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Mwandiki wa Kikuyu General Union, agithomera andu makuonania
uria maundu mabaciriiruo. Na thu wake, muthuri ti Kinyatta akiam-
biriria akiuga atiri, na githweri.
Atumia aya, na Athuri aya, riu ningwenda kwaria na inyu mukwenda
ndimwaririe na Githweri kana na Kingeretha? Andu othe makiuga
mekwenda githweri. Kinyatta agikiuga atiri; niwega, ningugeria kwaria
na githweri no tondu woria mui ati njiriga kwaria githweri tene muno,
kuria ndirihitagia nikuriruguragwo. No tondu githweri ni mwaririe
witu andu airu, ndingihota kuriganiruo ni kwaria tondu ingiriganiruo
ni mwaririe witu nitakuga nindiganiiruo ni andu aitu. Agicoka akiuga
atiri:
Arata akwa, kuuma riria ndoimire guku, ni njerete muno mabururi
ma Ruraya, na ni ndirutite maundu maingi. Ningiri, ningoretwo ndina
kahinda ga kurora na gutuiria matombo ma andu othe athi. Athungu,
China, Ahindi, na andu Airu, no ngumwira na ma ati matombo macio
mothe ni mahuanaine, no kiria kina utiganu ni uhuthiri wamo. Nduriri
iria irikitie kuhuthira matombo mao muno, niithiite na mbere makiria,
nacio nduriri iria itahuthagira matombo mao, nicio ithutha na niguo
ithui andu airu tutarii. Nyina wa kaana angioha kaana kau gake guoko
hindi ria gaciaruo, guoko kuu no guikare oro uguo na gutingikahota
kuruta wira. Nake mundu angirega kurutithia meciria make wira mat-
ingikahota kumuguna.
Kindu kiria kina bara muno hari ithui andu airu na kiria twagiri-
iruo ni kumenya ni ati tutuike agima na tugie na uhoreri wa ngoro.
No ugima ucio ti kuoha tai na gwikira iratu maguru, no makiria ni
ugima wa kwenda kuruta wira na moko maitu, na gutiana ithui ene,
na tugie na mwitio na wendo wa Gikonde gitu andu airu, na tumenye
ati hatiri undu wikagwo ni andu eru utangihoteka gwikwo ni andu airu
mangikoruo mena uiguano.
Uiguano nikio kindu kiria kinene, na nikio ithui andu airu twagire,
tondu o riu ndiraria haha, ni hari andu amwe airu mariteng’era makere
thu cia andu aĩru ati Kinyatta ekugaga una riu hau aheo ciringi ıgiri
akene.
Akiuga ati ngumwira na ma ati thu iria nene na iria igiritie tuthii
na mbere ithiini witu, na niguo mumenye ati niguo-ri. Hena thimo
imwe ya githweri yugaga ati ‘Kikulasho ki nguoni mwako’. Tondu ucio
tungienda guthii na mbere, niwega twambe tuhote thu io iitu igiragia
tuiguane. Niki gitumaga andu airu moranie atiri Ugwika uguo kai wi
Muhindi kana, kai wi Muthungu. Athungu, na Ahindi, ni andu o ta
the home coming of our great hero jomo kenyatta
277
Kenyatta to make his awaited speech, as he stood at the front to ask
the people in Swahili:
‘Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to talk to you, but I must ask you
whether you want me to address you in English or in Swahili?’
Th
e thundering answer came back from the audience as if in one
voice:
‘In Swahili’. Th
is made Kenyatta say: ‘It’s all right, I’m going to try
to speak to you in Swahili. But as you already know, I haven’t spoken
Swahili for many years. So, where I make a mistake, it should be cor-
rected. But, since Swahili is our own language I cannot forget how to
speak it. For if I were to forget it, it would mean that I had forgotten
our own African people.’ He went on to say, ‘My friends, since I left
you here at home, I’ve made various visits to the many countries of
Europe and have studied many things. Moreover, I had the time to
investigate the brains of all human beings, Europeans, Chinese, Asians
and Africans. And the truth is that ALL THESE BRAINS ARE THE
SAME.43 What makes them diff erent is the use to which they are put.
Th
ose nations which have been able to use their brains more than oth-
ers have made great progress, while those nations which have not been
able to use their brains have remained behind others. Th
at is what we
Africans have been doing.
‘For if a mother were to tie her child’s arm when it is born, that arm
would remain like that and the child would never be able to use it even
when he grows up. And if a man doesn’t use his brain, it will never
be of any use to him. Th
e most important thing we Africans ought to
know is this: Th
at we should attain maturity, that we should be hon-
est in our hearts. To be mature does not mean putting on a nice tie,44
wearing nice shoes but, instead, it means having the desire to work
hard with our hands and to respect one another. To have pride and
love our black skin as Africans.
‘And to know that there is nothing which white people can do which
cannot be done by Africans if we are united.45
‘Unity is one of the most important things in the world and it is
what we Africans lack. Th
is is because, even as I speak, there are some
Africans [here] who will run to go to tell the enemies of the African
people what Kenyatta has been saying to the people. And there, he
will be given a shilling or two to make him happy.’46 Th
en he went
on to say:
‘I’m telling you the truth when I say that our big enemy that pre-
vents us from going forward is within ourselves. In order to make you
appreciate this truth, and the meaning behind it, there is a Swahili say-
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chapter five
ithui na hatiri undu mekaga uria ithui tutangihota gwika, niwega andu
matuike agima.
Agicoka akiuga ati we mwene ni Mugikuyu, No ni njui ati Agikuyu
ni Karuriri kanini, no hindi iria ndirari Ruraya ndiratetagira Agikuyu
oiki, no makiria ndiratetagira nduriri ciothe njiru cia mwena uyu wa
Africa ya Irathiro. Tondu ucio akira andu niwega matigecirie ati riu
Kinyatta ni oka, niwega mahuruke amahe kiria oimite nakio Ruraya,
kana agarure maundu na undu wa kiama e wiki, agikimera ati we
mihuko yake ni mitheri ndiri kahuti. Ningi akimamenyithia ati ndokite
na inde cia mbara ta Atomiki Bomu, agicoka akiuga atiri.
Twina kindu kimwe kinene gukira indo cia mbara ta icio igwitwo
Atomiki Bomu, na kindu kiu ni uiguano na kiyo kia wira. Twaiguana
na twaruta wira na kiyo ni tukuoya bururi witu na iguru, Utonga-ini,
na Ugi-ini, na Ugima-ini, wa miiri iitu.
Ningi ni hari na undu ungi ingienda kumwira, ati nii muoyo uria
riu utigaire thiini wakwa, nindihariirie ndimutangatire, no nii ndiukite
ndimwathe, ndimwirage ikai uu, no nii ndoka ndindungata yanyu;
akoruo ni mukwenda ndimutungatire, niwega, no akoruo mutikwenda,
ni ngwiinukira gwitu Gikuyu ngerimire ta, andu aria angi. No angikoruo
ni mukwenda ngoro yakwa imutungatire. No Kimiiyukiei! Aarikia
kwaria ciugo ic agiikara thi.
Th
utha ucio hakiarangia andu gakundi a gwikira uhoro wa Kinyatta
hinya na kumucokeria ngatho, na kuonania uria uiguano wi mwega.
Na kurikiriria, munene wa Mombasa ugwitwo Senior Chief Abdalla,
akiaria ciugo cia ugi muingi na njega muno, akiuga ati uiguano ti
kurorana na maitho matheri, no makiria ni gwitikira kuho thamihothi
ya kuruta mawira macio, maguteithiriria andu airu. Nake munene ucio
eetaga Kinyatta na ritwa ria gitio kinene, tondu amwitaga ‘Mugeni wetu
Writing for Kenya Page 41
