riitwa ria Kabuku gaka ria kuga ati Kinyatta ni Muigwithania witu.
Mwandiki ndangiriganiruo ni gucokeria Mwene-Nyaga ngatho, tondu
wagutuma ahote kwandika maundu maya.
Ciama-ini icio Kinyatta aaragia nigukoraguo andu aingi, na hatiri
wao ugiragio kwandika maundu macio. Nikio egugicunga Mwene-
Nyaga muhera tondu wa kumuhe riciria ria kumenya ati maundu maya
nimagiriiruo ni kumenyereruo ni getha makinyire andu aria me muoyo
riu ona aria mariciaruo. Tondu ino ni mbeu irahandwo, na hindi iria
irimera Agikuyu nimarigia na Uigu-ano munene na hatiri mundu wa
thi ukahota gucoka kumamurania ringi.
Ni wega uthome ugicuranagia wone ati Kinyatta ndokite kunina
ngoro ya Ugikuyu, no makiria ni kumiriukia.
Hari undu ungi muthomi agiriiruo ni kumenya ati muthenya na
mweri uria uhoro uyu mwandike haha waririo ti mwandike na gitumi
ni tondu andu aingi mangithoma uhoro wandikitwo hindi iria waririo
monaga ta ari wa tene. No kuringana na miario ya Kinyatta ndiri hindi
igakura na tondu ucio hatiri bata kwandikwo muthenya uria aririe.
Uhoro uria wina bata ni ati niaririe, nacio ndeto ciake ni cia gutura
ihinda-ini riothe. Na hindi iria uguthoma menya ati niwe arariria o
ihinda-ini oro riu, thaa oro io na handu hau uri umuthi.
Rekei tutie riitwa ria Gikuyu Ithe witu na Mumbi Nyina witu.
Henry Muoria
Kirangari
kenyatta is our reconciler
321
speeches deal with matters in which Indians or Somalis are involved.
If they are engaged in doing something good or worthwhile, he gives
them encouragement, to boost their morale. If they are not on the right
lines, he tells them where they have gone wrong.
Th
at Word Unity
Yet on many occasions, he speaks words that are intended to bring
them together. Th
at word is UNITY.10 He tells everyone that if we
are united, so that we can speak with one voice, nothing we want to
do cannot be done. Th
e editor has used that word Unity to give this
pamphlet its title: Kenyatta Is Our Reconciler.11
Th
e editor does not forget to thank Almighty God for enabling him
to write these things down. For there were always many [other] people
listening at those meetings where Kenyatta spoke. No one prevented
them from writing down what he was saying and sending it off to be
published.
Th
e Editor’s Gratitude to God
Th
is makes the editor feel [even] more grateful to God for making him
realize the value [of Kenyatta’s words] and that they should be taken
care of, so as to preserve them and allow them to reach many people
living today as well as those yet to be born. For what is said today is
like planting a seed, and when that seed sprouts and grows to maturity,
our people will achieve UNITY, and no human being will ever be able
to create disunity among them again.
If you think carefully as you read this pamphlet, you’ll see that
Kenyatta has come not to kill the heart of the Kikuyu, but instead to
raise it to life.12
Another thing the editor wants to tell his readers is that he has delib-
erately omitted the days and dates on which Kenyatta spoke. Th
is is
because the editor fi nds that if anyone looks at a speech and [sees] the
date on which it was spoken, he will think it to be old news, relevant
[only] to that past date. But Kenyatta’s speeches do not grow old. More
important [than their date] is the fact that he spoke them. And the
words he uttered are meant to last a long time. So, as you read them,
remember that he is speaking to you personally at the time and place
you read him today.
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chapter six
(3) Uria Kinyatta Erire Agikuyu a Ndini ya Mubea
Kinyatta oima Ruraya atananina matuku maingi; ni etiruo ni Agikuyu
a Ndini ya Mubea makithingura cukuru ya guthomeruo ni ciana
ciao meyakiire o ene na haria mbere ya Th
ogoto hetagwo Gicuhiro.
Mutongoria wa Agikuyu acio akiheana uhoro, akiuga ati tene
maraturaga Muthangari na hindi iria kwaheanagwo ithaka nimatiniirio
gicunji kiao hau.
Na tondu woria riu mekuraya na Muthangari kwa Mubea ni monete
ati ni wega meyakire Cukuru ta Agikuyu a ndini iria ingi.
Hindi iria njamba iitu ti Kinyatta arugamire kugeithania na andu
akiuga ati ena gikeno tondu wa kuonana na andu, na makiria tondu
wa gukinya handu hau; tondu hindi iria erigite ho ni ta miaka mirongo
iiri na itano mihituku. Agicoka akimera ati uhoro munene wa githaka
kiu akiuga atiri:
Hindi iria ndaciragira uhoro wa Ithaka Ruraya, nindathire kuon-
ana na Mutongoria wa ndini uria munene witagwo Archbishop of
Canterbury, ngimuonia ati o nao Athungu a miceni nimatunyanire
ithaka na ngiaria uhoro wa githaka giki turungii uumuthi ngionia
mutongoria ucio uhoro wakio mebuini ya ithaka. Nake Mutongoria
ucio ti Archbishop of Canterbury akinjira ati uhoro wa githaka giki
ti uhoro wake; no niwa Munene wa ndini ya Athungu a Th
igoci uria
witagwo Moderator of the Church of Scotland. Riu hindi iria nderiruo
uguo, ngihaica ngari ya mwaki ngithii o kinya bururi wa Athungu acio
a Scotland. Ndakinya kuo ngionana na Munene wa ndini io, na thutha
wa kwaria gwitu nake; niguo gwatuikire ati githaka kiu nigigucokerio
Agikuyu. Agicoka akimera ati kuma tene Agikuyu moigaga ati gutiri
Muthungu na Mubea. Ni wega tuiguane tukimenyaga ati ithuothe turi
Ciana cia Mumbi na Gikuyu’.
Agikinyia miario yake hau.
kenyatta is our reconciler
323
Let us start to respect the names of our father Gikuyu and our
mother Mumbi.
Henry Muoria
Kirangari. 1947.
(3) What Kenyatta Told Kikuyu Members of the Catholic Religion
His First Speech Among the Kikuyu
It was only a few days aft er Kenyatta arrived in Kenya from Europe
that he was invited by some Kikuyu members of the Catholic Religion.
It was on the occasion of their opening a new school they had built for
themselves at Gichuhiro, not far from Th
ogoto.13
Th
e leader of the group stood up and said that in the past, they had
lived at a place called Muthangari (where there was a big Catholic
Mission Station).
But when they moved, to come to the place where land had been
given to the members of the Kikuyu tribe, they felt they had to build
a new school for their children. Th
is was because Muthangari was too
far away and they had to build a school, as members of other religious
denominations had done.
When our Hero Jomo Kenyatta stood up to speak, he greeted the
gathering warmly, saying he was glad to return to that area on this occa-
sion. Th
e last time he was there had been about twenty-fi ve years ago.
He then told them something important which many of them had
not known before. ‘When I was engaged in the argument about our
land issues in Europe, I went to see the religious leader known as
the
Archbishop of Canterbury. I told him that even missionaries had
joined in taking away our tribal lands. I spoke to him about this land
in particular where we are standing today. I showed him the Map of
this area.
‘When the Archbishop of Canterbury looked at the Map, he told me
this land was not under his responsibility, but that the leader of the
Church of Scotland was responsible for it. When I was told this, and
that the relevant religious leader was the Moderator of the Church of
Scotland, I went to Scotland by train. When I got there I went to see
the Moderator. Aft er our discussion, he assured me that this land was
going to be returned to the Kikuyu people.’14
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(4) Uria Kinyatta Erire Agikuyu Othe gwa Koinange
Th
utha ucio niguo kwagiire cai munene mucii gwa Koinange, na niguo
Kinyatta aririe na Agikuyu othe. Uhoro ucio niwandikitwo magathiti-
ini mothe; no tondu Kabuku gaka gakonii miario yake kuuma oka
kundu kuria Mwandiki akoragwo ho, nikio miario io yandikwo ringi
ona yandikitwo Mumenyereri-ini.
Ningi ringi ngathiti itituraga ta mabuku na nikio uhoro uyu wandikwo
ibuku-ini ni getha ndukanariganire. Th
utha wa gutabariruo maundu,
kahinda ga kwaria ga Kinyatta gagikinya; akira Agikuyu othe.
Miario iria nduire njaragia, ni miario ya Kigeni no umuthi-ri ni
nguga ati ndingiaria na ruthiomi rungi tiga o ruria ndaciariruo naruo.
Ningi ni ngatho nene muno hari aciari aitu ta Koinange tondu koruo
athuri ta Koinange matiri ho Athuri othe matingigia kiene. Nii ndina
gikeno kinene tondu wa inyui kwenda tugeithanie. Gikeno kiu kianyu
nikio gituirie ruendwo ruria runene rua tiri uria twagaiiruo ni ithe witu
Gikuyu naNyina witu Mumbi. Agicoka akiuga ati undu uria munene
muno ni githomo na uugi, tondu kwiraguo uugi ni hinya naguo uugi
ucio uri hinyari ni muthemba uriku? Andu aria mekwaragia na hau
kabere gakwa-ri mekwaragia makoiga tukwenda ugi niguo tuthii na
mbere. No riri nii kuu guothe Ruraya gutiri bururi ona umwe wa
Athungu itakinyite na hindi iria ngoragwo ngithii mabururi maciori
ndithiaga ngithomaga mabuku, no thiaga ndina maundu matatu, wa
mbere ngathii ndutite maitho makwa mbico, na matu makwa ngaruta
magokoni, namo meciria makwa magaikara mahoreire. Uugi ucio
tukuuga ni hari muingi utangithomwo mabuku-ini. Nii mwene nguuga
ati uugi wa kiambiriria ni umwe naguo mbere ni Muthuri gutungatira
kana gutia tiri wake na bururi uria aciariiruo.
Uugi utari na gitio kia bururi na tiri niwa tuhu, nguo nguuga
ukuruhanitie na uugi wa ma na niguo gutia bururi na andu anyu na
kuiguana ni getha tuhotage kwaria twi mutwe umwe. Athuri a tene
moigire Kamuingi koyaga ndiri, uugi ni kwenda kieya na kurora
kenyatta is our reconciler
325
Th
en Kenyatta reminded them that, from the very beginning, the
Kikuyu had a saying that asserts: ‘Gutiri muthungu na Mubea’ which
means ‘Th
ere is no diff erence between a white man and a white priest’.15
It would be better if we were united and worked together, knowing that
we are all children of Gikuyu and Mumbi’.
Aft er those words he sat down, bringing his short speech to an end.
(4) Kenyatta’s Main Speech to the Kikuyu Tribe at the
home of Koinange
A few weeks aft er his return, a big Tea Party was prepared rather
belatedly at Koinange’s home at Kiambaa, to welcome him home. It
was the day when [Kenyatta] spoke to his fellow tribespeople from all
corners of the country, including some important and infl uential Chiefs, and religious leaders of many denominations.
Although the speech was fi rst published in Mumenyereri, it is repro-
duced here since this pamphlet is concerned with the speeches Kenyatta
delivered immediately aft er his return. Moreover, newspapers do not
last as long as books. One reason for publishing this speech here is to
make sure it will never be forgotten.
Aft er making arrangements, the time arrived for Kenyatta’s speech.
A large crowd had assembled at Koinange’s home and over its bound-
ary, as far as the eye could see. It was a sunny aft ernoon and Kenyatta
himself was in cheerful voice, wearing a black cloak over his suit which
he said was given him by the Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, when
he met him in Europe many years earlier during the Italian Abyssinian
War of 1935. 16
Kenyatta began his speech by telling the big crowd:
‘Th
e speeches I’ve been making had to be made in foreign languages.17
But today, I’ll speak in the very tongue I began to speak aft er I was
born.
‘I off er my great thanks to elders like Koinange who are our parents,
for if elders like Koinange did not exist, no elder would have been worth
anything ( but it is important that such elders do exist and they are of
great value to us). I am really very happy that all of you here want to greet each other today. What has sustained my great passion for our
soil, passed down to us by our father Gikuyu and mother Mumbi, is
the thought of your own happiness.
326
chapter six
maundu maria tutangihota kurutiruo ni Ahindi kana Athungu. Th
u iitu
iria nene no ithui ene, ti ria ingi tugwiciria, na ni ithui twirigagiriria
maundu tondu wa kwaga uiguano na kwaga kugia mutwe umwe. Ucio
ni uhoro muuru. Twaga kiugo kimwe gia ciugo icio cieri, nitwahuthia
kiu kingi. Twaiguana na twagia mutwe umwe, o kiria giothe tugwitia
ni tukuheo. Na angikoruo uguo niguo wega, rekei tukiiguane. Undu
uria ungi nyonete hindi iria ndiracerangire, ndiragerire Nairobi na
haria twitaga Makirandi nindironire twana twa Uhindi na ndirona
nyumba iria tuthomagira. Ningi ndiragera haria njira ya Kabete ndirona
mutongoro wa Ciana cia Athungu, na ndirona Nyumba iria ithoma-
gira. Ndiracoka ndiroima hau ndakinya ona haria Waithaka njira ya
guthii Ndaguriti; ndiracemania na twana twa Mumbi na ndirona kuria
tuthomagira. Hindi iria ndiracokire kuringania mbica icio ithatu,
ndiroiga kai ithui Nyumba ya Mumbi twanagumiruoi! Nyumba icio i
na utiganu munene na ni uira wa kuonania ati twi thutha. No mwahota
kunjira atiri, i nawe Kinyatta kai utakiui turi athini. No riri; Ahindi na
Athungu matiukaga na mbia mahingiire mathanduku, no matongeire
bururi uyu witu. Twagia na Uiguano hatiri kigiria gikugiria twake
Macukuru ota macio. Ningi atiri, ndinona kaana ka Muhindi kana ka
Muthungu kena Ndutu kuguru. Ndirakiuria atiri kai ari o ithui Ngai
oigire turiagwo ni Ndutu?
Kiugo giakwa ni giki ona kana iria thomete cia ageni, ngiringanagia
na cia Agikuyu; ati ndionete ugo wa Ageni ukirite ugo wa Ugikuyu.
No riri ihitia riria rina andu aingi ni kwaga kuririkana uria Agikuyu
moigire ati ‘Mugathiwa kuona uteaga wa Mwene’, ni wega tuikare
tukiririkanaga Mugathi ucio twatigiiruo ni Mumbi na niguo ciugo na
thimo icio cia Ugikuyu cia utaraani muingi.
No uria tumwana twikaga ni ati twathii haha Mombasa twanina
mieri itatu, gagicoka Gikuyu gekuuga gatingimenya Gikuyu tiga
o
Githweri. No riri; uugi uria nii ndarutiruo ni Koinange twi thingira
na ngirutwo ni Kinyanjui na Wambugu uugi ucio niguo wandeithirie
muno ndathii Ruraya. Koruo ndiari na uugi ucio ndingiahotire gwika
undu ona umwe Ruraya. No hindi iria ndakoriruo ndina uugi ucio
ngithii ngiongerera wa Ageni ngiringanagia na witu Gikuyu. Tondu
ucio ni wega tugie na Uiguano na gitiano ona gwitiganira ithui ene
tondu kiria gitumaga twitwo acenji ni riri; hindi iria weruo ringa uyu,
wirutanagiria ukaringa Muru wa Nyukwa ruhi, nake Muthungu ona
uguo akera uria ungi atiri, ndukuona uria acenji aya makigite, ucio ti
undu wa gutuma twitigiruo.
kenyatta is our reconciler
327
‘Th
ose who spoke before me stressed the importance of education and
knowledge. But what type of education? What sort of knowledge?
‘I agree that education and knowledge are very important for it is said,
“Wisdom is strength”.18 But what sort of knowledge is said to have such
power? Th
ose who spoke before me said that we want knowledge so that
we can go forward. But I myself, wherever I went in those European
countries—for there’s no country in Europe I didn’t visit19—I can tell
you that whenever I went to visit them, I did not go to read books. I
went with three things [in mind]. Th
e fi rst thing I did was to clear my
eyes, to see properly. Secondly, I cleared my ears of all the wax. Th
e
third thing was to keep my mind calm and open as well as alert.20
‘Th
is means that most of the kind of knowledge that’s said to be the
source of power can’t be learned from books. To my mind, the fi rst
knowledge is this: Th
at a man should be prepared to serve or respect
his own soil and the country in which he was born. Knowledge that
doesn’t respect one’s country and soil is useless. I say that true knowl-
edge enables one to respect and love one’s country, to love your own
people and be united, so that we can speak with one mind.21
‘Our old elders used to say: ‘Kamuingi koyaga ndiri’ which means:
‘A group of people are able to uplift a heavy object’.22
‘Moreover, knowledge is to love your cleared building-site23 and to see
and do things which can’t be done for us by Indians or Europeans.
‘Our greatest enemy is within ourselves. It isn’t the ones we keep
thinking of.24 It’s we ourselves who stand in the way and prevent us
Writing for Kenya Page 48
