a Ngwataniro io.
Aaarikia kwaria ciugo icio agiikara thi Muthuri umwe Mucumari
akirugama agicokia ngatho muno hari miario ya Kinyatta, akiuga
niarikitie guthoma miario miingi ya wira wa Kinyatta hindi iria arari
Ruraya, na maundu macio nimatumite amenye ati Kinyatta ni muteithia
wa andu othe athi no ti andu airu oiki no makiria ni mihiriga ya andu
a thi yothe handu yaruma, airu na eru Agikiuga ati riu megwiciria ati
kenyatta is our reconciler
343
(8) Kenyatta speaks to the Somali Group
Following the custom established since his return, the next group to
invite Kenyatta to a Tea Party was a group of the Somali tribe which
proudly called itself ‘British Somalis’ to distinguish itself from those
from ‘Italian Somaliland’.
Th
e Tea Party was held at Hassan’s shop between Nairobi and Th
ika.56
Th
ey had also invited other well known Kikuyu such as the Hon.
E. W. Mathu, Mr Harry Th
uku, and others.57 Aft er Tea, their leader
Mr Hassan got to his feet and told the invited guests:
Th
at he and his Union were happy for being with a well-known and
highly respected man like Jomo Kenyatta. He said they had known of
the many things Kenyatta had done to help many black people when in
Europe. Th
at was why his Union was grateful to Kenyatta. He went on
to say that, these days, the Somali are together with other Africans in
all things. Th
eir fathers had made a great mistake when they declared
themselves not to be Africans but Asians like the Indians. He then said
KAU ought to be reorganized so as to represent all black people in East
Africa. Somalis could then be shown how to unite with other black
people.58 He then introduced Kenyatta as the next speaker.
It was Kenyatta’s turn to stand up and to tell those present:
‘When I was in England, the black people of East Africa whom I
used to see very oft en were Somalis, because in the city of Cardiff one
fi nds the only area in Europe or Britain that actually belongs to black
people. Many of them are Somalis. Th
ey earn their living by fi shing
at Sea in sailing boats, and many own cafes where they sell food they
have cooked themselves.’59
Th
en he said: ‘the Somalis who came to Kenya long ago were misled
when they declared themselves not to be Africans but white-skinned
Asians. If we look at a map of Africa, we can see that the Somali
Country is close to Kenya, and that Somalis are not white but black
people like ourselves.’
He went on to say that ‘it is a great joy to hear that Somalis are now
prepared to join other black Africans in order to form a new Union
with them, and to become one people.’
He too believed KAU should be re-organized so that Somalis could
be given room to join it and belong to it. So saying, he sat down as the
audience clapped their hands.
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tondu niokite guku niekugeria kumateithia ota uguo aramateithagia
hindi io arari Ruraya; ona ati Kinyatta niekugeria kwira andu airu a
guku maiguane na Cumari na metikire kurutithania wira wa wonjoria
me hamwe.
(9) Uria Kinyatta Erire Kiama Kia Mathako Kia Agikuyu Kia-ri
Nairobi Pumwani Memorial Hall
Th
utha ucio nikwagiire na cai munene wathondeketwo ni Kiama kia
Mathako kia Agikuyu gi gwitwo na Githungu Th
e Agikuyu Sports
Club. Muthuri ti Kinyatta akinyire caiini ucio handu ha thaa ikumi.
Na aarikia gutonya nyumba io, arume makihuria hi ni gikeno na
Atumia magiciririkia ngemi thano. Na kuringana na mutugo uria wikuo
matuku maya, Mwene-Giti wa Kiama kiu niaririe, ona mutumia umwe
ugwituo Nyambura niaririe akira andu uria magiriiruo ni kugia na ciiko
ithenya ria kwenda kuona maundu na maitho matheri. Na thutha wa
Mutumia ucio Mwandiki wa Kiama Muthuri umwe uui kuhura inanda
cia gicomba muno ugwitwo Githinji akirugama akionania gitumi gia
Kiama kiu kiao kia Mathako. Akiuga gicaragia uiguano wa Ciana cia
Mumbi kuma Meru nginya Ngong tondu ati ciana cia Mumbi niciagire
mathako mao ma gitene ni wega magie na Ngwataniro ya mathako ma
kuhura mubira na maundu mangi. Akiuga ati Muthuri ti Mbiyu wa
Koinange ni umwe watarire Kiama kiu na gukionereria njira. Agicoka
akiuga ati Kiama kiu kiambiriirie mweri-ini wa kwenda mwaka wa 1945
na riu nigikinyitie andu 90. Iruta ni Sh. 1/- o mweri, mwaka ni Shs. 12/-.
Na ati andu a Kiama kiu nimateithagia andu akio mangiruara, ningi
mbeca cigaguo Bengi ni andu atatu atongoria na Athuri a Kiama ni
getha itikae kuhitana. Agikiuga ati gitiri kiraigania andu na ni wira wa
Agikuyu gutonya Kiama-ini kiu. Agicoka akira Anake aria mahuraga
mubira a Kiama kiu rnathii makageithanie na Kinyatta na guoko. Na
thutha wa ngeithi icio niguo Kinyatta aririe akiuga atiri:
kenyatta is our reconciler
345
Kenyatta as a Helper of all Mankind
Another Somali elder thanked Kenyatta for his words. He told the audi-
ence that he had in the past read many other speeches by Kenyatta when
he was in Europe. From his reading of these he knew that Kenyatta
was a helper to all mankind, not only to black people, but also to all
races wherever they are, black or white.60 Now that Kenyatta had come
to East Africa he would go on trying to help us all, just as he had in
Europe. He hoped Kenyatta would tell other black people to respect
Somalis and agree to co-operate with them in trade.61
(9) Kenyatta’s words to the Kikuyu Sports Club
A tribal Sports club was the next organisation to invite Kenyatta to speak
at their Tea Party in Nairobi’s Pumwani Memorial Hall. It turned out
to be a happy occasion since it was concerned with Sports, not politics.
Kenyatta arrived about four o’clock in the aft ernoon.62
When he entered the building, the menfolk clapped their hands as
a mark of respect. Th
e women shrieked their traditional welcome, the
‘Ngemi’, which had to be repeated fi ve times according to custom, as a
mark of their deep respect, just as had been done from time immemorial
when a baby boy was born into the tribe.
Following the trend set since his arrival, the organisation’s Chairman
spoke briefl y himself, to introduce other speakers. Th
en a lady speaker
gave a short speech, saying that people should show by action that they
mean business, instead of wanting to be onlookers.
Th
en it was the turn of the organisation’s Secretary, a musician
called Githinji, to tell the audience: ‘Th
e purpose of their organisation
was to seek unity among the Mumbi children from Meru to Ngong,
because they were deprived of their games of long ago.’63 As a result,
they lacked facilities for Sports.
Th
ey thought that playing such modern Sports as football and many
others would help to put things right. Mr Mbiyu Koinange was among
those who gave them good advi
ce at the start and had shown them
how to organise. Th
ey had started in September 1945. Th
e [monthly]
membership fee was only one shilling per person, which meant 12/- per
year. So far they had 90 members. He also said members are supposed
to help one another if they get sick. [Th
eir] funds were kept in the
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Athuri na Atumia, ndina gikeno tondu wa kurugama haha tugeithanie
na inyui. Tondu ndiri na kahinda ga kugeithania na mundu o mundu
na guoko, no undu nikweriruo ngeithi cia kanua i hana o ngeithi cia
guoko, ningi riu niturionanaga na inyui kaingi. Ningi ndina gikeno
niundu woria andu ingi mena gutiana kunene, tondu gutiana kuu nikio
kiambiriria kiega gia gukuria bururi witu.
Tondu nikweriruo ati rurira rutithambagio ruui.
Undu ungi ingienda mumenye ni atiriri, undu uria munene wa
kurehe meciiria magima na maundu mangi maingi mega no umwe,
naguo undu ucio uri o thiini wanyu. Naguo undu ucio-ri niguo ugu: NI
UIGUANO. Tuiguanire kiugo kimwe, nikio giki, andu aria me nyumba
ino othe ni ciana cia Gikuyu na Mumbi, na hatiri mundu ungitiguo na
hau akane oige ati uguo tiguo.
Twaiga mwihoko witu hari nyina witu Mumbi nitukuhotana. Nii
nindikitie na guthii mabururi me comba maingi, na hatiri undu itoi
wao o na andu airu aingi nindikitie na kumenya uhoro wao, na maundu
mao maingi.
(10) Uhoro Wa Ruthanju Ruria Ruake
Kinyatta agicoka akiuga atiri:
Ta ruthanju ruru mukuona ndi naruo ruthondekeiruo West Africa,
ngireheruo ni munene wakuo, tondu wa gitio na tondu woria onire
kio giakwa utetiini kuu Ruraya ngiteta iteguthutukania andu. Th
iini
wa micemanio-ria ndiragiaga nayo kuu Ruraya ya andu airu, ni andu
a nduriri tutangihota kuigwithania mwariric ungi tiga o Githungu. No
he kindu kimwe kiratuigwithanagia, na nikio uiru wa gikonde kia mwiri
witu, twarorana tukoiga twi kindu kimwe.
kenyatta is our reconciler
347
bank under the care of three offi
ce-bearers so everything should go
smoothly. Th
ey did not yet have enough members and it was the duty
of all Kikuyu to join the Sports club. Th
en he told the young football-
team members to go and shake hands with Mr Jomo Kenyatta. Aft er
these preliminaries, he introduced Kenyatta to the assembled gathering,
to whom Kenyatta said:
‘Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m very happy to stand here today to greet
you all. But because I have no chance of greeting everybody by hand, it is
said that greetings by word of mouth are as good as shaking hands.
‘Moreover, now that I’m here in the country, we’ll be able to see each
other more oft en. Furthermore, I’m glad because many more people
respect each other than before. Such respect is a good beginning which
will make our country grow up. For the old saying asserts: “Rurira
rutithambagio ruui” which means “Deep-seated family relations do not
get washed down the river” .64
‘Something else I’d like you to know is that the single most impor-
tant element to create sound minds and other valuable qualities is the
UNITY within your hearts. To be united in one word is a good thing,
for all the people in this house are children of Gikuyu and Mumbi.
Nobody is prepared to deny that and say it isn’t true. If we put our
trust in our mother Mumbi, we’re bound to win.
‘I myself have visited many countries of Europe, and there’s nothing
done there that I don’t know about. I also know a lot of other black
people living elsewhere in Africa as well as their aff airs.’
(10) How I got my Walking Stick
Th
en Kenyatta told his audience of fellow tribespeople, ‘For instance,
this walking stick of mine was made in West Africa. It was given me
by a West African Chief for he respected my work. He saw how hard
I worked in making political representations for the good of all black
people living in Europe, without discriminating where those black people
came from in the fi rst place.
‘In the many meetings at which I spoke I talked to people with whom
we had no means of communication other than English. But something
made us feel united and that was our black skin, which made us think
of each other as brothers.
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Mungirora ruthanju ruru, no muone ati ruthondeketwo ta mutwe wa
njogu haha ngwatiroini, nayo thimo iria iho niyakunjira toria Agikuyu
moigaga ati Njogu ndiremagwo ni miguongo yayo.
(11) Uhoro wa Nguo iria Ehumbite kwa Koinange
Agicoka akiuga ati andu aria maari gwa Koinange nimanyonire ndi-
humbite nguo njiru ya githii, nakio githii kiu-ri, ndanengeriruo na
mutugo wa ruthanju ruru. Tondu riri, ni Abyssinia na Italiani, na nii
hindi io ndari Ruraya, nindathondekire kiama gia kuhunjia mathina
ma Abyssinia kuri athungu a mithemba yothe. Ona nitwari na kara-
tathi gaitu. Ningi nindathiaga kuonana na thungu a mihiriga yothe o
undu wa kuhunjia mathina ma Abyssina. Hindi iria Muthamaki wa
Abyssinia okire Ruraya andu airu othe aria maari kuo magithura thii
ngamuthaganie giceceni. Nake muthamaki ucio wa Abyssinia ugwituo
Haile Sellasie niwe waheire githii kiu kana hau niho githii kiu kioimire,
akinjira atiti, ndukanakiye kuriaganiruo niithuuii, onaithui tutikariga-
niruo ni ninyui.
Kinyatta agicoka akira andu atiri inyui nimukiui ati bururi wa
Abyssinia wi hakuhi tondu uhakanite na Kenya. Na hindi iria ithui
tuona kirima kiu gia Kirinyaga tuugaga ni giitu, ona Abyssinia hindi
iria mona kirima kiu me mwena uria wa Meru moigaga ati ni kiao.
(12) Uria Ithui Agikuyu Tungitigiruo
Riu twenda twitigiruo twitaguo Ndinguri, cia Gikuyu na Mumbi
ithenya ria gwitaguo Tumugikuyu, hatiri undu ungi tungiika tiga o
kindu kiu kinyinyi tungigia nakio, nakio kindu kiu ni UIGUANO. He
kaundu kamwe gathukagia Agikuyu, nako kaundu kau ni gakuuga ndi
muruu.
Ugakiuga nawe wi muruu-ri, kana wi muugi na wi gitonga-ri, wahota
kuigua uhoro wa mundu uria ungi atia? Tugakiriganiruo ati athuri acio
a tene nimarogorire uhoro ucio wa kurua, makiuga ati kurua gutika-
gia njuguma. Uguo ni kuuga tutingihota gutuika atongoria ithuothe,
niwega andu aria me gikuyuini na aria me gicombaini magerie gutuika
kindu kimwe.
kenyatta is our reconciler
349
‘If you look at this walking stick, you’ll see its handle is carved like an
elephant’s head. Th
e proverb embodied in it is like our Kikuyu saying:
“Njogu ndiremagwo ni muiguongo yayo” which means: “Th
e elephant
does not fail to carry its own tusks, in spite of their weight” .65
(11) Th
e Black Cloak he wore at the Big Meeting at Koinange’s Home
Th
en Kenyatta continued: ‘People who were at the big meeting held at
Koinange’s home saw me wearing a black leather cloak. Th
is was also
given me, just like my walking stick. For during the Abyssinian and
Italian War of 1935, when I was still in England, I formed a commit-
tee whose aim was to go round and speak to all sorts of white people
about the Abyssinian trouble. We had our own newspaper. I used to
go round speaking about the Abyssinian troubles to whites of all clans.
When the Emperor of Abyssinia came to England, the other black
people chose me to go to the station and meet him on their behalf. It
was the Emperor of Abyssinia, Haile Selassie, who gave me this leather
cloak. He told me I should never forget them and that they will never
forget us.’66 Th
en he told the crowd: ‘Of course most people know that
the Abyssinian people’s country is near ours and its borders are not
far from Mount Kenya.
‘When we look at Mount Kenya we say it’s our mountain. When
the Abyssinians look at it from beyond Meru, they too call it their
own mountain.’
(12) How the Kikuyu could be Respected
‘Now then, if we want other people to respect us and to call us strong
people67 of Gikuyu and Mumbi, rather than the diminutive little Kikuyu,
there’s nothing more important for us than to acquire something valu-
able in our hearts, and that is UNITY. For there’s something else that
helps to spoil the Kikuyu tribe’s aff airs, and that comes from saying:
“I’m circumcised.” To say that is to maintain that, since I’m circum-
cised, clever, and rich, how can I be expected to listen to what anyone
else says? We tend to forget that our forefathers solved that problem
of [everyone proudly] maintaining they were circumcised when they
declared that: “Being circumcised does not of itself throw a knobkerry”,
or in Kikuyu: ‘Kurua gutikagia njuguma’. Th
at is to say, we can’t all be
leaders. Th
ose who live in the place of the Kikuyu as well as those who
live in the place of foreigners68 should learn to act as one.’
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(13) Uhoro wa Wonjoria
Muthuri muugi muno na mwende muno ti Kinyatta agicoka akira
andu atiri:
Ningi o kiria githukitie Agikuyu no kiugo oro kiu gia kuuga nii
ndi muruu. Mundu eka kaundu gake aria angi othe makomokera ho
makienda matuike atongoria. Kuma ndoka, nithiite Ndunyu nyingi
ngona matuka maingi mega makitwo na ngona indo iria imatuka-ini
macio ndacoka gwiciria ngona ati indo iria ciothe i matuka-ini macio
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