Writing for Kenya

by Wangari Muoria-Sal

  ciahota kuiganira nduka igiri. Uhoro uria nyonete ni ati andu acio

  mangikoruo mari mirongo ina o mundu ekuoya Baithikiri yake akoiga

  athii kugura indo nduka-ini kwa Muhindi. Riu mundu ucio agathii

  kwenjwo ni Muhindi nake uria ungi ageka oro uguo nake agathii kwen-

  jwo ni Muhindi na njira yake mwanya. Riu uria andu acio mangika ni

  getha matige kuhenio muno ni muturanire mbeca ta kuuga o mundu

  akaruta Shs. 200/- mugurage indo ciothe hamwe mugacoka kugayana

  wega. No aakoruo mundu ari ona tubeca twake tunini ni mukuniwo

  ni kuhenio ni Uhindi ririkanai ati kamuingi koyaga ndiri.

  Nindironire hindi ingi na guku Nyeri ati kamuingi koyaga Ndiri na

  gitumi turathire na mutokaa kurakoruo kwi ndoro muno, mutokaa

  uraremwo ni guthii. Hindi iria andu maraigwire twina hau maroka

  maroya mutokaa ucio uratwaruo kuraya muno. Hena maundu matatu

  magukuria Ruriri, wa mbere ni Uiguano wa keri ni Githomo, na wa

  gatatu ni kurima na kumenyerera migunda iria twinayo. Macio nimo

  maundu matatu. No riri, he kiugo kimwe ingienda kuhutia, nakio ni

  giki, ati ni hari andu aingi aria mokite maigue kana ninjaragia Gikuyu,

  na angi magoka kuona kana nderu ciakwa ikinyite githuri, kana mone

  matonyo maria ndihumbite. No riri andu aria meguka maigue ciugo

  igiri, acio nio marahanda mbeu njega. Ririkanai uria athomi moigaga,

  twina matu na tutiguaga, twina maitho na tutionaga. Tungirora no tuone

  atitwina utonga muingi muno bururi-ini uyu witu. Na niguo utongetie

  ageni, tungimenya uguo twahota kuruta mawira maitu tutekumenithia

  Ithe witu Gikuyu na Nyina witu Mumbi.

  Riu Ciana cia Mumbi irogia na uhoti. Ningi ciana cia Mumbi iro-

  thathara tukirie kuoya bururi witu twina kio. Arikia kwaria ciugo icio

  agiikara thi andu makihura ruhi makenete.

  kenyatta is our reconciler

  351

  (13) How to Conduct our Trade

  Mr Kenyatta who was in a jolly mood went on to tell his audience:

  ‘Th

  e Kikuyu attitude that spoils their relations with each other is that

  of still saying: “I’m circumcised”. Th

  is is because when one of them

  does something the others follow suit, all wanting to become leaders.

  Since my return, I’ve visited many tribal markets where I’ve seen many

  good shops being built of stone, and have seen the goods stored and

  sold in them.

  ‘When I think about it I fi nd that all the goods kept in those shops

  could easily have been kept in two shops only. For what I’ve learned is

  that if there are forty shopkeepers in a market, each picks up his bicycle

  and says he’s off to buy his goods from the Indian shopkeepers.

  ‘A man goes to an Indian where he gets shaven alone ( cheated).

  Another man does the same and gets shaven in his own way by the

  Indians. What those people ought to do, to stop being cheated, is to

  subscribe money and put it together, say each shopkeeper paying down

  about 200/- shillings.

  ‘Th

  ey would then go and buy all their goods together, and divide

  them up when they get them back to their market. If everyone continues

  to take his little money to the Indians, he will soon be out of business

  aft er being cheated dry by the Indian shopkeepers.69

  Th

  e people ought to remember the tribal saying: ‘Kamuingi koyaga

  Ndiri’, which means: ‘A group of people is capable of lift ing a heavy

  object’.70

  How my car got stuck in the mud

  Th

  en Kenyatta continued: ‘When I was in Nyeri District the other

  day, I was reminded of the importance of that saying, that a group of

  people can lift a heavy object. For the heavy rain there had turned the

  roads into muddy puddles. My car soon got stuck in the mud so that

  it couldn’t move. But when the people living nearby heard that my car

  was stuck, they came along in large numbers, lift ed my car, and carried

  it out of the muddy section where it had been stuck.’71

  To advance means doing three things

  ‘Th

  ere are three things we ought to do in order to advance our country

  and nation. Th

  e fi rst is UNITY. Th

  e second is Education. Th

  e third is

  to farm well and take care of the land we have already got. Th

  ose are

  the three things which are most important to us all.

  352

  chapter six

  (14) Uria Kinyatta Erire Agikuyu Mathakoini ma Cukuru ya

  Karing’a Waithaka

  Matuku manyinyi mathira ni kwagiire na mathako Cukuru-ini ya

  Karing’a Waithaka na thutha wa Mathako ene mucii na atongoria aguo

  ni maririe makiuga uria makenete tondu wa gukoruo me hamwe na

  Njamba nene ti Kinyatta. Ningi magicoka makionia Aciari na kirindi

  ati mena thina wa mwako, ona ningi magicokeria andu aria maakinyite

  ngatho. Na thutha wa miario yao niguo merire Kinyatta agethanie na

  andu. Nake hindi iria arugamire akiuga atiri: Uria nguuga ni atiriri,

  ndina gikeno kinene ni undu wa kuonana na inyui, tondu andu aria

  maciaritwo ndi kuraya ni aingi muno. Ningi ngumwira ati ni kuri na

  Athuri monete thina munene na tondu wa thina ucio monire, nikio

  twina gikeno giki uumuthi. Tondu hindi ya tene tutingiahotire guce-

  mania ta haha tutahoete rutha. No riu nitucemanitie, na ningi Athuri

  acio nimamuhotithitie guthoma githomo kiria mukwenda. Riu kimenyei

  ati wira ucio wa gutwara githomo na mbere wi ciande-ini cianyu na

  mwarikia kunyita wira ucio mukimenyerere mutikae guthukia wira

  ucio. Menyai nitubataire ni githomo na macukuru mega na tuiguanite

  na twina kiyo twahota gwaka miako miega. Agicoka akimera o kiugo

  kiria oigire Mombasa akinya atiri.

  kenyatta is our reconciler

  353

  ‘But there is something else I’d like to touch on, which is that many

  people have come to hear if I speak in Gikuyu, while others have come

  to see if my beard is long enough to reach my chest, or to see what

  I’m wearing. But those who have come to hear one or two words are

  those who are planting good seeds. You should bear in mind what the

  readers say: “Th

  at you have ears but do not hear, that you have eyes

  but do not see”.72

  ‘If we look very closely, we’d fi nd that we have great riches in our

  country. It is this wealth which the foreigners have used in order

  to enrich themselves.73 If we could understand that, we would work

  hard without bringing shame to our Ancestors Gikuyu and Mumbi.

  I wish all children of Mumbi to gain power, that all children of

  Mumbi should continue to increase, so that we can lift up our country

  energetically’.74

  Aft er uttering those words, he sat down amidst wild applause.

  (14) Kenyatta’s Words at Waithaka School

  ‘We are not poor people’

  Not long aft erwards, a Sports Day was held at Waithaka Independent

  school where Kenyatta was asked to speak aft er watching the Sports.

  Aft er they ended, the school’s leaders spoke fi rst and told the crowd

  how happy they were to be there with our great hero Jomo Kenyatta.

  Th

  ey also stressed to the paren
ts as well as other spectators that they

  needed fi nancial support to build new school facilities. Aft er that they

  introduced Kenyatta to the crowd and invited him to speak. When

  Kenyatta got up, he said:

  ‘What I want to say to you is that I’m very happy to see you all here.

  For many people who are here today were born while I was away. I

  also want to tell you that many elders suff ered a lot in the past. And

  it is because of their suff erings that we are all able to enjoy this Sports

  meeting today.75

  ‘For in the past, we would not have been able to meet without per-

  mission. But today we are meeting to enjoy our sports. Th

  ose elders

  made it possible for you to get the education you want. It is therefore

  important for you to realize that the work of improving education rests

  [now] on your shoulders. And when you undertake that responsibility,

  take care not to spoil it.

  354

  chapter six

  Kigiria kiria kigiragia twike maundu manene ni hindi iria mundu

  oiga atiri, kai nii ndikiri muthungu kana kai nii ndikiri Muhindi, riu ni

  ihoya ria kuhoya Ngai ria kuga ati ithui tutingihota (kuruta wira mwega

  tondu tutiri eru ta Athungu na Uhindi). Riu ni wega tukuranie kiugo

  kiu na gia kuuga ndahota na ni tukuhota. Ningi ninjiguite andu aingi

  makiuga ati turi athini, na riu nario ni ihoya na moiga uguo mugukiria

  guthina. Ugai ati muri atongu, tondu ona mabururi maria thiite nin-

  yonete andu athinu kuri inyui. Tondu iri, ithuothe aria twihaha-ri ni

  hari mundu utekuga ati ndainuka mucii? Andu othe magicokia aca.

  Agicoka akimoria atiri, Ningi ni hari mundu utari kagunda gake? Andu

  makiuga aca. Agikimera atiri, andu acio a mabururi macio matingihota

  kuga ndathii gwakwa, kana moige ndathii kagunda gakwa.

  Ningi ni mukuona macukuru makitwo na mahiga, hihi mahiga

  macio-ri mokite na ndege? Githi maticuhagio ni Athuri o aya me haha?

  Githi ningi mahiga macio matiri o githaka-ini giki twinakio. Inuothe

  mungiroka ruciu, muge Muthuri ihiga rimwe, mwanake ihiga rimwe,

  mutumia ihiga rimwe na muiritu ihiga rimwe-ri githi nyumba to

  murikie? Kiu nikio kiyo. Ithui tutiri athini ona hanini ona ningi tutiri

  undu tutangihota gwika tondu maundu macio ni ithui twikaga. No indi

  tukamenyera gwika maundu macio na undu wa gwathwo.

  No tungiambiriria kwirutira mawira macio ithui ene no tugie na

  micii miega, na macukuru mega na nguo njega. Tondu ucio ni wega

  tweherie uguta na tutige gutembana. Arikio kwaria ciugo icio agiikara

  thi. Muthuri Mugathe ti Arthur Gatungu akiaria akigathiriria miario ya

  Kinyatta ya kuuga andu maiguane tuhote gwika maundu manene.

  kenyatta is our reconciler

  355

  ‘You should all remember that we need education, we need more

  school buildings—so that if we are United and prepared to work hard,

  we’ll be able to build good and better school buildings.’ Th

  en he repeated

  what he had said at Mombasa:

  ‘Th

  e obstacle that prevents us doing something important is our habit

  of asking: “Am I supposed to be a white man? Or am I an Indian, to be

  expected to do such and such things?” When anyone talks like that, he

  is really praying to God. What he means is that, as Africans, we can’t

  do anything good because we’re not white people or Indians who are

  capable of doing such things. We had better change such words and say

  “we can do it, or I can do it, as well as any white man or Indian.”

  ‘I’ve also heard many people say “We are poor”. Th

  at again is a

  Prayer to God. And to keep on saying that means you’ll go on getting

  poorer. For you ought to be saying that you are getting rich. Th

  is is

  because even in some [European] countries I visited, I found some

  people poorer than you.

  ‘Th

  is is because I can put this question to all who are here today,

  “Is there anyone among you who does not say I will be going home?”’

  Th

  e crowd answered ‘No’ with one voice. Th

  en he asked them again: ‘Is

  there anyone among you who has no garden of his own to cultivate?’

  Th

  e crowd answered again, ‘No’.

  Th

  en he told them, ‘Th

  e poor people I told you about in those other

  countries can’t say: ‘I’m going home, or that they own a piece of land

  they can call their own gardens’.76

  You have the power to build good school buildings

  ‘You can also see many stone-built schools. Are those stones brought

  by planes? Aren’t those stones chiselled by the elders who are with us

  today? Aren’t all those stones to be found in the lands we own?

  ‘If all of you were to decide that tomorrow, every elder will bring

  one stone, each young man would bring a stone, each woman a stone,

  and every girl a stone, would not all those stones be enough to build

  a school?77

  ‘Th

  at requires will-power. We are not poor people at all. And there

  is nothing we cannot do ourselves because we are people who have

  done these things already. But we are used to doing them [for others?]

  because of being ruled.

  356

  chapter six

  (15) Uria Kinyatta Erire Kiama kia Aciari Nairobi Pumwani

  Memorial Hall

  Kiama gia Aciari nigikoretwo gigituga Kinyatta muno, amu nikimwiti-

  ire cai keri, cai umwe warugiiruo mwena wa Muranga kundu kuria

  guiwitwo Muthithi, na uria ungi thiini wa Nairobi Pumwani Memorial

  Hall. Mwandiki wa maundu maya ndaigana gukoruo ho cai-ini ucio

  wa mbere na nikio miario iria yaririo kuo ni Kinyatta ndiigana kuona

  Mwandiki.

  Cai ucio wa Nairobi warugithitio ni andu a mwena wa Muranga na

  Nyeri na Embu meturanire hamwe. Nake Kinyatta akinyire kuu ta thaa

  ikumi na agikora andu mamwetereire o wega. Na hindi iria atonyire

  nyimba iyo arume makihura ruhi nao atumia ma kiuga ngemi. Nakio kiu

  nikio gitio kinene amu tutigwiciria kana he mundu ungi uria woigiruo

  ngemi athite handu tiga o hindi ya ruimbo ngemi ciugagwo. Th

  utha

  wagutugwo, Muthuri mugathe muno ti Joseph Kangethe akirugama

  akiuga ati riu andu nimekuheo uhoro ukonii githomo ni mundu uria

  ui uhoro ucio wega. Agicoka akiuga ati Kiama kiu matanya makio

  ni githomo na agicokeria miceni ngatho tondu woria mathomithirie

  andu, no ni moigire ati kwi hindi ikinyaga uhoro ukarema. Muthuri

  ti Kangethe agikiuga atiti riu ndikiui kana hindi iyo niyo ino. No riri,

  uria kwagiriire ni tumenyeati tukwenda githomo kiria kina.

  Th

  utha ucio niguo Kinyatta arugamire andu makihura ruhi makenete.

  Nake akimera atiri: Riu-ri uria nii nguuga no ati munjohere ni undu wa kwaga gukinya tene. Keri ndina gikeno kinene. Nakio gikeno kiu

  kiiyurite ngoro yakwa hihi ni gia kii? Gikeno kiu ti gia kunyua cai

  tondu gutiri mucii utari cai. No gikeno kiu ni gia kumenya ati tugo-

  manite haha ni undu wa undu uria muna, na twike undu uria muna.

  Riu koruo mwanjitikiria no njuge Gikuyu kirothathara tondu koruo ti

  kenyatta is our reconciler

  3
57

  ‘But if we were to begin doing such things for ourselves, we would

  have good and beautiful homes, have better, beautiful, schools, have

  good clothes. In such circumstances let us get rid of laziness and stop

  expressing contempt for each other.’

  Aft er saying this, Kenyatta sat down. Th

  e people clapped their hands

  warmly. Th

  e last speaker was Rev. Arthur Gatung’u,78 who supported

  Kenyatta’s argument and praised him for wise words which had so

  greatly encouraged the people.

  (15) Kenyatta’s words to the Parents Association at Nairobi

  Th

  e Parents Association had invited Kenyatta to a Tea Party more than

  once. Th

  eir second invitation was for a Tea Party to be held at Nairobi’s

  Pumwani [Memorial] Hall. One Tea Party had been held in Murang’a

  [District] at a place called Muthithi. But the editor did not attend this,

  so no words that Kenyatta spoke then have appeared anywhere. But

  he was there to note what Kenyatta said at the second Tea Party, held

  in Nairobi Memorial Hall.

  Th

  e organizers of the Tea Party were from Murang’a, Nyeri, and

  Embu; they had joined together as one body when they again invited

  Kenyatta.

  Kenyatta arrived late, about four o’clock in the aft ernoon, but found

  the people still waiting for him in cheerful mood. When he entered the

  Hall, the men showed that by clapping while women shrieked their

  traditional tribal ‘Ngemi’, repeating it fi ve times. Th

  at was their way to

  show Kenyatta respect, for ‘Ngemis’ are not shrieked to anyone other

  than tribal dancers ( or warriors returning home aft er victory in a tribal war in the olden days).79

  Aft er being welcomed, Mr Joseph Kang’ethe80 chairman of the Parents

  Association stood and told the assembled audience that they were going

  to be told about the value of education by someone who knew more

  about it than anyone else. Th

  eir association aimed to advance education

  and to thank the white missionaries, for it was they who taught the

  people how to read and write from the beginning. But they [had] also

  said there would come a time when matters became unmanageable.81

  He did not know whether or not that time had come but he did know

  that what we need most is more and higher education.

  It was then time for Kenyatta to speak. Th

  e audience applauded again