Mutukufu’. Naguo uguo na Ugikuyu ni kuga ‘Mugeni witu Mutheru’.
Mucemanio ugithira andu makiuma ngoro ciao ina gikeno kinene.
the home coming of our great hero jomo kenyatta
279
ing that asserts: ‘Kikulacho ki nguoni mwako’. Th
at means: ‘Th
at which
eats you up is inside your clothes’.47 If that is so, if we want to make any progress, we must overcome the enemy that prevents us from making
such progress and from becoming united.
‘What makes [us] Africans keep asking one another, “What makes
you think you can do this or that like an Indian? Or like a European?”
I can tell you that Indians and Europeans are human beings like our-
selves. Th
ere is nothing they can do which we cannot do as well. It is
better for Africans to attain maturity as full human beings.’
He went on to say that he is a Kikuyu himself:
‘But I know that the Kikuyu are a small tribe. When I was in Europe,
I did not restrict my political activities to the Kikuyu tribe alone. But
above all, my political activities were concerned with the aff airs of all
East African people.’48
He went on and told the audience that:
‘Nobody should think that, because Kenyatta has now returned, we
can take a rest so that Kenyatta can give us what he has brought from
Europe. Or that he can change everything as if by a miracle, all by
himself.’ He told them that his pockets were clean, even of dust.49 He
also said he had not brought any fi ghting weapon like Atomic bombs.50
He went on to say:
‘But we have something greater than any weapons of war, like Atomic
bombs. And that is our Unity and our willingness to work hard. For
if we become united, and are ready to work hard, we shall be able to
uplift this country of ours in all its aspects. Economically, Educationally, and in the Health of our people and our bodies.
‘Th
ere’s something else I’d like to tell you. And that is: I am prepared
to serve you with the life which is still left in me. I have not come to
rule you so as to tell anyone do this and do that. But I have come as
your servant. If you want me to serve you, that is all right with me. But
if you don’t want it I will go back to my home among the Kikuyu to
become a farmer like everyone else. But if you still want my heart to
serve you, I can only say: Here I am, throwing it to you all!’ Aft er so
saying, he sat down amid wild applause from the excited audience.
Aft er him, a few others spoke in his support and thanked him for his
words, as well as emphasizing the importance of Unity. At the end, the
meeting was closed by a speech from Chief Abdulla of Mombasa who
called Kenyatta by marvellous praise names. He called him ‘Mugeni
wetu Mutukufu’. In Gikuyu that is to say ‘Our Exalted Visitor’.
Th
e meeting soon ended with everyone’s heart feeling much better
for what they had heard for themselves.
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(11) Kiraro
Hindi iria mucemanio wathirire, Kinyatta mena [???] wake uria moimite
Ruraya nake ugwitwo Brother Francis, magitonya motokaa wa Taxi uria
wa makuaga, na tondu woria andu aingi mendete kumuona, makinyita
motokaa mari aingi o kinya motokaa ukiremwo ni gukura, akigeithio
muno, magicoka makirekia motokaa ugithii.
Nyumba iria Kinyatta oneiruo ya gukoma ni ya muthuri mugathe
Mugikuyu ũgwitwo John David Wagema, munene wa turani twa Th
imu
twa Railway. Nake mutumia wake ugwitwo Ruth, na muiritu wake
ugwitwo Grace Njeri uthomete kinya High School wa waragia Githungu
hakuhi ene kio, nimarutire wira muingi muno wagutuga ageni aria othe
mari kuu kwao hwai-ini ucio, irio iria ciariiruo ni nyingi amu hatiri
mundu utaigana kuhuna. Tondu ucio niwega hindi iria uguthoma
Kabuku gaka ukamacokeria ngatho tondu wa gutuga njamba ya Ruriri
rwitu, na utugi muingi uguo, o undu umwe na andu arin matumitwo
magathaganie njamba io handu-ini ha ruriri.
Hwai-ini ucio wari na gikeno kinene muno, tondu wa ndereti cia
muthuri ti Kinyatta tondu woria ciari njega na cia uguni imuingi.
Tatiga ngwire ndereti imwe oigire hindi iria aariaga rio. Akiuga atiri
Ati andu aria mamenithitie ruriri rua Gikuyu muno makiria ni andu
a mithemba iri, muthemba umwe ni wa arume aria magucagia Rigicu,
tondu hindi iria ta Muhindi kana Mucumari, aikariire Rigicu atwaruo
haria ekwenda, no akarumaga mundu ucio akamwita uria Ahindi
metaga andu, ‘Bejuti, konda pesi’. O hakuhi kugutha mundu ucio na
iteke, ungicoka uthii bururi ungi muonane na Muhindi kana Mucumari,
akurie wiwa muhiriga uriku, uge wi Mugikuyu, Muhindi ucio ona
kana Mucumari ucio, no agaguthekerera, akera andu aria mungikouro
mwinao, atiri: Aya Agikuyu nio matugucagia na Rigicu kuria bururi
wao, matiri kiene ona hanini.
Namo maraya nio mekaga ihitia riria inene, tondu ruriri ruitiga giruo
niundu wa atumia aruo, kwiyenda, no Muhindi kana o Muthungu
angikoruo niekumenya ati enda mutumıa wa Mugikuyu kana Muiritu
wa Mugikuyu ni ekumuona o riria angimwenda tondu wa mbia ciake-
ri, ahota gutia Agikuyu naki? No akoiga ati ruriri rua Agikuyu nituhu
tondu atumia ao matiri ugima wa ngoro na uthingu uria utumaga
atumia magie kiene.
Agicoka akiuga ati Comba ni witigirite Ukabi muno, ona Ruraya
mabuku ni maingi maria mandikitwo uhoro wa Ukabi. Na gitumi
kiria gitumaga Ukabi witigiruo ni tondu wa urume na kwaga kugarura
the home coming of our great hero jomo kenyatta
281
(11) Where We Slept at Mombasa
At the end of the meeting, Kenyatta and the friend who had accompa-
nied him from Europe, Brother Francis, got into the taxi which they
had used throughour the day.51 And because so many people, waiting
and listening outside, wanted to see him, they took hold of the taxi
so that it could hardly move. He had to shake hands with so many of
them before they eventually allowed the car to move off .
Th
at evening Kenyatta was to spend the night, with others, at the
home of Mr John Wagema. He was the leader of the Railway teleg-
raphy clerks. His wife Ruth and daughter Grace Njeri, who spoke
English almost like a native, worked hard to provide all their guests
with enough food for the night. All of us had enough to eat. Th
e reader
of this pamphlet should thank them for their kind hospitality and the
warm welcome they gave our honoured guest on behalf of the African
people of East Africa.
Th
e Type of People Who Spoil Th
e Name of the Kikuyu Tribe
It turned out to be an enjoyable evening with Kenyatta telling us some
interesting facts which were also educative. For instance, while he was
still eating his evening meal, he told us that the people who helped to
spoil the name of the Kikuyu tribe were of two types. Rickshaw pullers
were one such type.52
‘Th
ey are mostly men. When they carry Indian or Somali passengers,
with orders to take them somewhere, the Rickshaw men agree to
do
so very willingly since it is their duty. On the journey, the Indian or
Somali sits comfortably in the Rickshaw with one man pulling it in
front, while one or two men push from behind. Th
at Indian or Somali
orders them to run faster. If they fail to do so, he gets angry and starts
shouting and abusing them, with the Indian using words they are very
fond of applying to Africans like: “Bejuti” go faster.53 He looks as if he
might try to give the pullers a big kick to make them go faster.
‘When you go to another country and happen to meet that Indian
or Somali, he may ask you very politely what tribe you belong to in
Kenya. When you tell him you belong to the Kikuyu tribe, he suddenly
bursts out laughing wildly at you. Th
en he tells those with him: “Th
ese
Kikuyu are the people who pull us along in Rickshaws in their country.
Th
ey are of no importance in their own country.”
‘Th
e second sort of people to make our tribe hated are prostitutes.
Th
ey commit great sins. Th
is is because a nation is respected through
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chapter five
mutugo wao. Githomo-ini methutha, no m [???] itio-ini na ugima-ini,
uria witigirithagia ruriti menaguo.
Tondu ungimakia Mukabi, no akugerie itimu agwite ‘Nagaichiria
Ngai. Ningi angithii wira kwa Muthungu, aheo uboco wa Mutu,
oragia Muthungu atiri. Ugwiciria nıi ndi Mukavirondo ndie mutu;
ndingihota kuria mutu, he Mucere na Nyama, na ĩria, tondu nicio
irio cia Masai.
O na ningi Athungu aingi, metikitie ati guca mokire Agikuyu ni
mangianiniruo ni Ukabi. No hau ithui Agikuyu ni tui ni maheni,
ni amu kuuma tene Agikuyu mari o njamba. Na aria twi muoyo riu
nituganagiruo ni maithe maitu uria mahuraga Ukabi na makiria mbara
iria Ukabi wahuriiruo Githunguri-ini gia Gicamu o na riu ngumo yayo
ndiri ya thira tondu yatuikira ngerekano, yakuonania ati hindi iria andu
mangihuruo muno meragwo mahuritwo ta Ukabi wa gwa Gicamu.
Ngerekano icio cia Ukabi, na cia andu a Rigicu, na Maraya kuringana
na uguo gwateretiruo ni Kinyatta ikuonania uira mwega wa uria andu
mecokagia na thutha, na iria ingi igatuonia uria andu metwaraga na
mbere. Th
utha wa ndereti icio na ingi nyingi. Gugigikomwo o na
thayu.
the home coming of our great hero jomo kenyatta
283
the good behaviour and pride of its women. But if an Indian or Somali
knows he can buy any Kikuyu woman or girl, how can you expect him to
respect the Kikuyu people? He would say that the Kikuyu nation is use-
less because their women have no self-respect in their hearts or the pride
that makes women respected and valuable members of the tribe.’
Another thing he told us that evening was that the White people
fear and respect 54 the Masai tribe. ‘Even in Europe, plenty of books are written about the Masai. What makes White men respect the Masai is
that they are brave and virile, so that they don’t change their way of
life so easily.
‘Yes, educationally, the Masai are backward. But in their traditional
pride and self-respect, which makes any nation respected, the Masai
are ahead of others. If you threaten a Masai, he will point his spear
at you and call you “Nagaichiria Ngai” ( which is a Masai expression
of anger.) And if he were employed by a white man who off ered him
maize meal or fl our like other Africans, the Masai would ask him: “Do
you think I’m a Kavirondo55 to be given maize fl our for food? I am a
Masai and I cannot eat maize fl our. Give me rice, meat and milk which
are the food for Masai.”
‘Some white men still believe that, if they had not come to Kenya, the
Kikuyu would have been exterminated by the Masai’, said Kenyatta.56
Th
at is Pure Lies
Since my paper was intended for Kikuyu readers, I felt it wrong to create the impression that they were cowards. I therefore added these lines to
my report. But we Kikuyu know that is not true but lies. For from the very beginning, the Kikuyu were good fi ghters who were not afraid to
die and to fi ght the Masai. For our fathers keep on telling we who are
still living how they used to beat the Masai in battle, especially how the
Masai were defeated at the great fi ght that took place at Githunguri gia
Gichamu. Even today that fi ght is still remembered whenever people
are beaten up. Th
e common saying being, ‘Th
ey have been beaten like
the Masai who were defeated at Githunguri gia Gichamu.’57
Summing up the Value of Kenyatta’s Stories
Th
ose examples of the Masai, the Rickshaw Pullers, and the prostitutes
are valuable because they indicate, as Kenyatta shows with evidence,
how people can be made to go backward while others show how people
can go forward. Aft er those interesting conversations, the time came
for everyone to go to bed in peace.
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chapter five
(12) Gwithagathaga tondu wa Rugendo rua Ngari. Gucera Mombasa
na Kunyitwo Ugeni ni Kiama gia K.A.U.
Rucini rua mweri 25–9–46 muthenya wa gatatu muthuri ti James
Beautah akirehe mu [???] wa Taxi na thutha wakugarura uhoro na
ene mucii, tugikuo o [???] a kwa mutumia uria ugitwo Elizi Wacheke
tondu nikwo mirigo [???] othe yaigitwo. Nake ni mitumia gitonga na
mutugi o kuigana Nyumba io yake ni kwenderio endeirio ni muthuri
ti James Beautah tondu yari yake tene.
Twoima hau tugithii giceceni kurora uhoro wa matigiti Nakwo
uhoro uria twonire ni ati tutingioneruo makumbi maria maikaragwo ni
comba, tondu ati nimarikitie na kuiyuruo ni athungu a ahindi. Tondu
ngari yu maga Mombasa thaa ikumi na nuthu cia hwai-ini na hindi
io twari giceceni kwari tathaa inya cia rucini. Th
utha waguteretanga
na anene a Railway, magituika ati Kinyatta mena mugeni wake uria
moimite Ruraya nake mahota kuoneruo kumbi ria guikara thi noti
ria gukoma, no ati ithui aria twoimite Nairobi tuoneruo ikumbi ritu
ithuiki. Tugikiuga niwega.
Twoima hau tugithii Posta kuhurira andu a Nairobi thimu magat-
weterera. Twarikia kuhura thimu, tugicoka tugithii kuonio uria kuu
Posta kurutagwo wira, tutongoretio ni Mugikuyu umwe urutaga wira
kwo Turani turia twothe turutaga wira nyumba io ya kuhuriruo thimu
makigeithia Kenyatta mena gikeno kinene, na tugicoka tugitwaruo he
muthungu uria. Munene wa Posta, nake akigeithia Kenyatta akenete o
muno na okimuria uhoro wa Ruraya. Th
utha wa guteretanga hanini,
tukiuma kuu tugithii wabici ya D. C. tukonane na Muthungu umwe
wa Th
irikari ya Muthubari, uria urumbuiyagia maundu ma andu airu
Ugutwo Kelly. Nake agituhe ite ciaguikarira owega. Na agitugeithia ena
gikeno kinene. Magitereta na Kinyatta handu ha ithaa igima, akimwira
uria tiri wa guku gwitu uthukite, na maundu mangi maingi makonii
hinya uria wiho mwathanire-ini. Th
utha hindi iria twatuire guthii,
akira Kenyatta ati hihi niegwiciria hindi iria ariona Kahinda ga gucoka
Mombasa. ni
arimuonia mucii wa wa Mombasa wega. Kinyatta akim-
wira ati o na riu mena mugeni wake, uria utari wakinya Mombasa, na
ahota gukena akoruo hihi kwi maundu makonii andu airu angienda
kumonia. Nake Muthungu ucio agitikira, akiuga ni eguthii gutuonia
manyumba ma andu airu thaa inyanya.
Twoima hau tugithii tukiona iciriro ria andu airu, na tugikora Senior
Chief Abdalla, agitutwara nyumba ya iguru ati tukone D. C. tugikora
atari kuo, naho hau githaku-ini kia nyumba io ya iguru. Tukiona
the home coming of our great hero jomo kenyatta
285
(12) Preparing for our train Journey: Visiting Mombasa and the
Welcome from the Party of the KAU
On the morning of 25–9–46, our third day at Mombasa since coming
from Nairobi, Mr James Beauttah brought a taxi. Aft er saying many
thanks and goodbye to our hosts, we were taken to the home of a woman
called Elizi Wacheke. All our luggage was there. She was clearly a rich
woman, and generous by nature. We learned that her house used to
belong to Mr James Beauttah when he lived in Mombasa, who sold it
to her when he left .58
Aft er leaving, we went to the Railway to make arrangements for
our journey to Nairobi and buy tickets for our trip on the train that
aft ernoon. At the station we were told we could not have the accom-
modation we wanted in the Second Class because the train was full of
Indian and European passengers travelling to Nairobi.59
Aft er further discussion, the Railway offi
cials agreed that Mr Jomo
Kenyatta and his friends could have Second Class sitting, but not sleep-
ing, accommodation, and that the Welcome Committee would be given
Th
ird Class accommodation together, as a group. We agreed to that.
It was ten o’clock by the time we had completed these arrangements;
and the train for Nairobi was not due to leave Mombasa station until
half-past-four that aft ernoon.
We then went to the Post Offi
ce to send telegrams to Nairobi to say
we would be arriving by train the next morning. ( For the journey from
Mombasa to Nairobi takes the whole night to cover the distance of over
300 miles.) When the Africans working in the Post Offi
ce saw Kenyatta
they were excited and welcomed him warmly. Aft er the usual hand-
shaking they off ered to show us how they did their work. We were led
Writing for Kenya Page 42
