e Kikuyu Independent School
Rironi Karing’a School was the first independent school to invite
Kenyatta. It belonged to a faction that had adopted a Kikuyu name in
its school title, being called: ‘Th
e Karing’a or Kikuyu Karing’a Schools,
which is to say Independent schools.41
Aft er the Sports, the school Chairman Mr Johana Karanja stood up
and told the assembled Parents and their children who had been taking
part in the day’s Sports meeting:
‘Th
e elder we told you about is with us here today. Now welcome
your man. We have repaid our debt to you by bringing him back from
where he was staying’.
When Kenyatta stood up to speak, people clapped as was the cus-
tom. He said:
‘You are celebrating a big occasion today, the school Sports and the
happiness it brings to you all. Some people may think schools aren’t
336
chapter six
too ma kuiguo mbembe na andu aria macemanagia kuo ni kunyitwo
manyitagwo magathii gucirithio. No uumuthi-ri twina rutha gucemania
tutari mundu tukuhoya rutha, ningi cukuru cia Agikuyu ina ciana nyingi
irathomera kuo gukira ciana iria i macukuru ma miceni mothe. No
gikeno kiu muri nakio uumuthi, gikinyitio hau ni undu wa ukiririria
na kiyo gia Tuthuri turia tutindaga twihumbite tubuti.
Agicoka akiira ciana ati ni wega ithome muno, tondu ina munyaka
munene; tondu ati ta hindi iria Kinyatta we mwene athomaga ni kwi-
hitha ehithire agithii githomo, ningi ona hindi iria athiaga Ruraya ndoi
githungu kiingi ta kiria oi riu. Agikiuga atiri, matuku maya ciana ira-
thomithio ni maithe mao ikarihiruo githomo, ningi igakiruo macukuru
ni maithe mao; tondu ucio ni wega ciana igithome na kiyo kiingi ithii
na mbere ni getha hindi iria magatuika andu agima nao makoigaga
ati hindi iria mari ciana macukuru mao mahanaga una. Agikiuga ati
Agikuyu moigire gutirika ni gute na makiuga ati hatiri haraya he njahi
hure, tutiri turaigania macukuru ni hindi turambiriria. Kwoguo ni wega
tumenye ati wira urutagwo mwiruti. Akirikia kwaria agiikara thi.
(7) Uria Kinyatta Erire Atongoria a Kiama gia Kenya African
Union, Nairobi
Th
utha wa matuku manyinyi niguo ningi Muthuri mwende muno ti
Kinyatta etiiruo cai ni Atongiria a Kiama gia Kenya African Union.
Naguo cai ucio warugithitio Hutiri-ini igwitwo Ritz Hotel, Nairobi.
Atongoria a Kiama kiu a miena yothe nimetituo ona atongoria a Ciama
cia Uhindi no metitwo na nimakinyite o wega. No andu mataigana
gukinya ni Muthungu ona umwe.
kenyatta is our reconciler
337
going forward as they should, but if they do think that, or keep saying
so, what they say is not true because, when I came back from Europe
[in 1930] before going again for my second visit, our schools and
buildings were being used as maize stores. And the people who tried
to meet there were getting arrested and taken to court.
‘But today we can meet without asking anyone’s permission.
Moreover, the Kikuyu schools,42 owned by the Kikuyu people, contain
more children than those to be found in all the white-owned Missionary
schools put together.43 But the happiness you celebrate today you owe to
the sacrifi ces made by minor elders who [now] spend their time wearing
old overcoats’.44 Th
en he turned his attention to the children and told
them they must be ready to study hard because they now had a great
opportunity to do so. When he himself had wanted to go to school, he
had had to hide [his intention]. Even when he was being sent to Europe,
his English was very poor compared to what he knew today. He said
that, today, [by contrast] fathers were paying for their children to be
educated and their fathers [even] built them their schools.45
So it was imperative that children should study hard and make head-
way, so that when they grew up they too could tell their children what
school used to be like in their day. He then reminded the people of the
tribal saying that asserts: ‘Gutirika ni gute’ which means: ‘To give up in impatience is to throw away’ 46 and that: ‘Hatiri haraya he njahi hure’
meaning: ‘Th
ere are no ready-prepared beans in far-off places.47
‘We have not yet got all the schools we need, we are still building
new ones. We should remember what the tribe says: “Wira urutagwo
mwiruti” which means: “ ‘Only a worker can do the work’ ” [or: work
needs someone to do it].
With those words ringing in the people’s ears, he brought his speech
to an end and sat down. Th
e crowd clapped their hands warmly.
(7) Kenyatta Speaks to the Kenya African Union
In those busy days aft er his return to Kenya, Kenyatta was invited by
the fi rst recognized political body, namely, Th
e Kenya African Union,
Nairobi Branch.48
Th
e Tea Party was held in the Ritz Hotel, Nairobi. All KAU branch
leaders were invited. Indians were invited too and had accepted, coming
to the Tea Party as expected. But, although invited by the organisers,
not one European had accepted the invitation.
338
chapter six
Ningi uhoro ungi wagiriiruo ni kumenywo ni athomi a Kabukugaka
ni ati ngathiti ya Athungu ndiri yandikwo ati Kinyatta e guku. Ona
andu aingi aria me mawira-ini ma Th
irikari kana Cukuru cia Th
irikari
nimakoraguo makienda gwita Kinyatta akamahe uhoro, no hindi iria
mahoya rutha kwi Mutongoria wao Muthungu makaregeruo. Tondu ta
arutwo a Alliance High School, Kikuyu, nimendete muno kuonana na
Kinyatta, makigirio, ningi andu aria mareruta wira wa guteithagia ma
D.C. kuria Jeanes School, Kabete, no mendete kuonana na Kinyatta,
Athungu makimagiria. Ningi Agikuyu a mwena wa Murang’a kuria
andu aingi muno ihinda-ini riri makuite ngoro ya kwenda bururi na
ruriri tondu wa kwaga andu a kumahunjiria ni kuigwituo ati nimer-
itwo ni Mbari ya Nyakeru ati hindi iria Kinyatta agakinya bururi ucio
wao matikanathii kuigua uhoro wake tondu ati ti mwega. Na uira wa
uhoro ucio niwonekire hindi iria Kiama kia Aciari gietiire Kinyatta
cai kuu Murang’a tondu hatiari munene ona umwe wakinyire cai-ini
ucio. Maundu tamacio ni uira mwega wakuonia andu aria meciragia
ati Muhonokia witu ithui ciana cia Mumbi tiwe Muhonokia wa mbari
ya Nyakeru.
Uhoro uria tukwaragia ni wauria Kinyatta. erire atongoria a Kiama
gia K.A.U. Hindi iria andu maarikirie kunyua cai Mutongoria wa Kiama
gia kau Muthuri mukumie muno ti Gicuru akiaria uhoro wa kuonania
uria andu airu turathii na mbere na uria Athungu marageria kuuga ati
tutiri akinyu twi ciana ona akihutia uhoro wa Mwanake witu Njamba
ti Gathigira, akiuga ndanyitiiruo gutoroka na makiria anyitiiruo Uteti.
Ningi agicoka akiuga ati Kiama gia K.A.U. ki hamwe na Muthuri ti
Kinyatta uteti-ini wake wothe.
Th
utha wa miario ya Gicuru, niguo Njamba iitu nene ti Kinyatta
arugamire akiuga ndekwaria maundu maingi, no niekugeria kuhutia
uhoro wa andu airu aria mat
uikite ati nio moi guthoma muno matuku
maya.
Akiuga ni wega andu kwirora kana gwituiria o ene tondu andu
mangiaga kwirora matingithii na mbere wega ona ningi matingihota
gutwika andu a ma.
Agikiuga tungituiria uhoro wa andu acio ogi na githomo wega no
tuone ati nio ngombo iria nene. Tondu riri andu acio kiria mendete
muno ni gwitongia o ene. Akiuga tareke tutuirie uhoro wao wega. Tuge
mundu oimagakwao mucii agathome cukuru nigetha amenye guthoma
akaheo mucara munene gukira andu airu aria angi matooi guthoma,
uguo ni kuuga ageciria ati ni njira ya kuuma ukomboini aracaria. No
kenyatta is our reconciler
339
Another thing readers of this pamphlet should know is that white-
owned newspapers have deliberately avoided reporting Jomo Kenyatta’s
return to the country. Even many Africans working for Government, or
in schools owned by whites, and who would have very much liked to
see Kenyatta and to ask him to come and talk to them as he has done
in other places, have been refused permission by the white offi
cials in
charge of them.
For instance, the students at Alliance High School, Kikuyu, would
have liked to meet Kenyatta. But they were refused permission. More-
over, the Africans being trained at Jeanes School to help the District
Commissioners wanted to meet Kenyatta, but were refused permission
to do so by their white offi
cials.49
Also, very many Kikuyu from Murang’a these days have lost the spirit
of loving the country and people because of lacking people to preach to
them.50 It is said that the whites who live there have been telling them
that, when Kenyatta comes to their District to visit them, they should
boycott his meeting because he is not a good man. Th
e evidence for
this was clearly seen when a Parents Association invited Kenyatta to
their Tea Party at Murang’a. While Kenyatta went, no tribal chief came.
Children of Mumbi, all this seems to indicate that our African Saviour is not for the white people in Kenya.51
But here our main concern is to report what Kenyatta said to the
leaders of the Kenya African Union. Aft er the Tea Party, the Union’s
chairman stood up to introduce Kenyatta and to say few words him-
self. He was Mr James Gichuru52 who told the assembled audience that
Africans were making progress in various aspects of their lives. But the
white people still say that we are not yet adult, that we’re like children.
He mentioned the arrest of Mr Henry Gathigira53 and said he was not
arrested for deserting from the Army but because he was connected
with politics. He then said the Kenya African Union was in full agree-
ment with Jomo Kenyatta and supported him in his political activities.
He then introduced Kenyatta to the assembled gathering.
Aft er that, Mr Kenyatta stood up to speak:
‘I’m not going to say much, but will touch on the so-called educated
Africans of today.’ People should examine themselves, for if they failed
to do so, they would make no progress whatsoever. Nor would they
become truthful and trustworthy individuals.
‘For if we look very closely at so-called educated Africans, we fi nd
they’re the worst type of slave54 living today. Th
is is because what they
340
chapter six
hindiiria athoma amenya githomo wega; andu aria mekumugura atwike
ngombo magakoruo methagathagite atanoima cukuru. Akirikia githomo
giake cukuru thogora wake niuuio.
Agakiuima akaguruo akaingira wira-ini, uguo ni kuuga agatwika
ngombo nene gukira uria egwiciria we mwene.
Andu a muthemba ucio nio kaingi moigaga matikwenda kuingira
maundu-ni magutetera bururi naruriri. No riri ona mageria kweherera
maundu macio ma uteti, gutiri hindi makahota, tondu uteti niurima
rumagirira o kuria guothe marikoraguo mari. Ningi undu ungi ucoketic
andu acio magwituo athomu muno nathutha ni uhoro wa kwenda
utongoria. Gicuru akenda agie na Kiama giake atuike mwenegiti
wakio, Muoria akenda agie na Kiama giake atuike Mwene-Giti wakio,
Khamisi akenda agie kiama giake atuike mwenegiti wakio. Riu hindi iria
andu acio macemania; o mundu agakiganaga akera uria ungi ati niwe
Mutongoria wa Kiama kiria kina. Riu haria mukihitiirie ni kuriganiruo
ati hindi-iria mureka uguo; ni hindi mwi mutego-ini wa thu cianyu.
Tondu mutiri na Uiguano nakwiraguo ‘Amukania andu ni getha uhote
gwathana’. Riu uria tukiagiriiruo ni tugie na uiguano ni getha tuhote
gutwara bururi witu na mbere. Ningi hindi iria andu airu acio athomi
moima cukuru, meciragia o riciria oro rimwe, ria gwitongia o ene na
makambiriria gwita aciari ao na andu aria angi maciaraniiruo nao airitu
na anake acenji. Uguo ni kuuga makagia na meciria makunderu, nao
moigaga ati mena meciria magima. Ucio tiguo mutugo wa gutwara
bururi na mbere. Ni wega kugarura mutugo ucio mwende aciari anyu
na andu aria angi muciaraniiruo nao ningi muiguane inyui ene, niguo
bururi uthii na mbere.
kenyatta is our reconciler
341
want more than anything is to get rich. Let’s look at it a little more
closely. Let’s say that a man leaves home to go to school, so that when
he is educated his rate of pay will be higher than that of others who
aren’t educated or who don’t know how to read or write. Th
at is to say,
he thinks he’s looking for a way out of slavery. But while he’s getting
educated and gets better at it, those who are going to buy his services
and make him their slave are already getting ready for him. By the time
he fi nishes his education, his price is already fi xed and known.
‘He leaves school; he is bought as he enters into service. Th
at is to
say, he becomes a big slave, more than he realises. Th
ese kinds of people
oft en say they don’t want to get into politics, which is concerned with
protesting about the country and our people’s aff airs. But no matter
how much they try to avoid politics, they can never do so, for politics
will keep on following them wherever they go.
‘Another thing that holds educated people back is their desire to be
leaders. Say Gichuru wants to have his own group so that he’ll be its
chairman. Khamisi55 wants to have his own association so that he can
be its chairman. Muoria wants to have his own Union so that he may
be its chairman. Now, when they all meet, each one takes to praising
himself as he boasts he is the chairman of such and such a Union. Th
eir
great mistake is to forget that, while thus engaged, they’re entering their
enemies’ snare. For they have no Unity and the saying “Divide the
people so you can rule them with ease” comes to apply to them.
‘So, the best thing for us to do is to achieve Unity so that we can
advance our country. Moreover, when these educated Africans leave
school, they have only one idea, which is to enrich themselves. And they
begin calling their parents savages, as well as those with whom they were
born, men and women. In fact, they acquire
very narrow minds while
thinking they have sound minds. Th
at’s no way to lift up our country.
‘You should change that attitude and take to loving your parents
and the other people with whom you were born. And to be United
yourselves in order to advance our country.’
He sat down, and the audience clapped at the end of his speech to the
KAU, Nairobi branch.
342
chapter six
(8) Uria Kinyatta Erire Kiama gia Cumari
Ningi thutha ucio niguo Njamba iitu iretiiruo cai ni Kiama gia Cumari,
aria meitaga Cumari wa Angeretha. Naguo cai ucio niwetiiruo andu
aingi aria moikaine ta Muthuri Mugathe muno ti Hon. E. W. Mathu, na
Harry Th
uku na andu angi aingi mari ho. Th
utha wa cai, mutongoria wa
Kiama kiu ugwitwo Hassan akirugama akira andu othe ati Kiama kiu
kiao kina gikeno tondu wa gukoruo hamwe na Muthuri mumenyeku
muno ti Kinyatta. Agicoka akiuga ati nimarikitie na kumenye maundu
maingi ma uria Kinyatta arateithagia andu airu othe e Ruraya akiuga
ati nikio Kiama kiu gia Cumari kina ngatho muno. Agicoka akiuga
ati riu Cumari wi hamwe na andu airu maunduini mothe, tondu ati
maithe mao mari na ihitia hindi iria moigire ati o ti andu airu ni andu
a Asia ta Uhindi. Agicoka akiuga ati hihi Kiama gia K.A.U. ni wega,
kibaciriruo wega ni getha kihote gutuika kia andu airu othe a Africa
ino ya mwena uyu wa Irathiro, nigetha Cumari moneruo kamweke
ga gutuika a ngwataniro imwe na andu airu. Th
utha wa Muthuri ucio
mwene giti ti Hassan niguo njamba iitu arugamire. Akiuga atiri hindi
iria arari Ruraya andu airu aria a mwena uyu maronanaga kaingi ni
Cumari tondu ona ni kuri itura rimwe ritagwo Cardiff ria andu airu
atheri ri kuu Ruraya, kwa Angeretha na andu acio aingi ao ni Cumari
na wira uria marutaga ni wa guthii iria-ini na macua ciao na ati aingi
ao mena mikawa yao marugaga kuo.
Agicoka akiuga ati cumari aria mokire guku tene, nimahitithirio,
makiuga ati o ti andu airu ni andu eru ta Ahindi. No tungicoka kurora
thiini wa mebu ya Africa tukuona ati bururi wa Cumari wi hakuni na
guku Kenya ningi Cumari ti eru ni andu airu ota ithui.
Kinyatta agikimera ati ni gikeno kinene angikoruo Cumari nimeharii-
rie kugia ngawataniro na andu airu aria angi matuike kindu kimwena
magie na uiguano: Agicoka akiuga ati o nake niegwiciria ni wega Kiama
gia K.A.U. kugaruranio ni getha Cumari moneruo ithenya ria gutwika
Writing for Kenya Page 50
