Writing for Kenya
Page 61
83, 84, 105, 106, 121, 123
Nuna Gichache, daughter to Hellen
and Kenyatta, 15–16, 17, 19, 22–4,
Wambui, 65, 81, 93–4, 114, 115,
29–31, 34–7, 41, 44–56, 59–60, 61,
116–17
70, 84, 105–06, 252–305, 316–381
Patrick Muoria, son to Immaculate
his marriages and family, 4–5, 29,
Waringa, 65, 88–9, 91, 94
33–4, 59–125
Peter Kigia, son to Elizabeth Th
ogori,
his pamphlets, 4, 8, 12–13, 17, 26–7,
100, 101
31, 35–6, 44–58, 59, 67, 95 (and in
Peter Mwaniki, son to Ruth Nuna, 64,
chronological order below)
84, 106–7, 108, 109, 113, 118, 120,
What Should we do, Our People?
123
(1945) 4, 8, 35, 44–50, 59–67,
Pricilla Nuna Gikiro, grandmother of
137–241
Ruth Nuna, 75–7, 82, 90
Th
e Home Coming of our Great
Rosabell Wambui Mbure, daughter to
Hero Kenyatta (1946), 19, 60,
Judith Nyamurwa, 74, 82, 84, 86–8,
252–305
91, 97, 117
Kenyatta is our Reconciler (1947),
Ruth Nuna, third wife to Henry
39, 41, 47, 49–50, 52–5, 60,
Muoria, 74–8, 80, 81, 83, 87, 99,
316–81
102, 134
Th
e Kikuyu Spirit of Patriotism is
exile in London, 78, 82, 84, 86, 96,
for Victory (1947), 37, 67, 118,
105–25
308
Kenya visits, 85, 88, 124
Our Victory does not depend on the
Simon Mbugua, son to Ruth Nuna,
Force of Arms but on the Word
108, 110, 111
of Truth (1948), 37, 48
Terry Gichache, daughter to Hellen
Our Mother is the Soil, our Father
Wambui, 65, 93–4
is Knowledge (1948), 46
Wambui wa Mbari, mother of Henry
Some ancient Greek Giants of
Muoria, 30, 65, 82, 85
Knowledge (1948), 47
Wangari Muoria-Sal, daughter to
Life is War by Action, to Win or
Ruth Nuna, 62, 64, 65, 84, 85,
Lose (1949), 47
105–25
unpublished pamphlets, written
Muoria, Henry
in London, 23–4, 29–30, 36, 64,
his authorial role (see also, as public
117–20
moralist), 22–30, 117, 118, 119–20,
his political thought, 4, 12, 23–4,
137–9, 191, 219, 239, 255–7, 321–3,
29–30, 36, 48–51, 56, 59–62, 63,
379
68–9, 70–1, 95, 117–20, 137–241
his autobiography: see I, the Gikuyu
as public moralist (see also his
and the White Fury
authorial role), 2, 12–13, 16,
his age-set ( ndege), 32, 34, 69
20–30, 35–7, 47–8, 50, 59–60, 61,
British hostility towards, 5, 9, 35, 38,
67–8, 73, 137–241
45, 55, 61, 72, 77, 96, 106–07, 118,
his use and citation of proverbs,
119
22,24, 35, 38, 47, 50, 62, 73, 115,
his education, 23–8, 29, 34, 65–7, 115,
117, 118, 147, 183, 241, 247, 248,
137, 242
250, 251, 249, 269, 279, 285, 293,
his exile, 5, 15, 59–60, 64, 73–4, 78,
299, 317, 325, 329, 337, 347, 349,
85, 96, 105–25
351, 359, 363, 373, 381, 383, 384
as father and grandfather, 60–1, 62,
as railwayman, 15, 24, 33–5, 48, 58,
63, 68–9, 82, 84–7, 92–3, 96–7,
60, 66–8, 82, 106, 246, 295
105–25
Murang’a, 21, 41, 259, 301, 308, 309,
his death and funerals, 85, 124
339, 357, 385
as journalist, 3, 21, 23–4, 35, 55,
Muriuki, Reuben, 132
59–60, 62, 63, 67–74, 80, 83,
Muslims, see Islam
106, 118, 119, 120, 252–305,
Muumbi, children or community of,
316–81
Gikuyu and, house of, 51, 74, 139,
408 index
242, 253–5, 261, 269, 306, 307,
and moral decay, 143
317–19, 323–9, 339, 345–9, 353,
and prayer, 371
371–9, 385
and race, 383
from Meru to Ngong, 345, 386
varieties of, 310
Muumbi Central Association, 261,
Progress, 137
309
and entertainment, 195
Mwanthi, chief James, PIII 23 & fn 97
and housing, 175, 177
and laziness, 299
Nairobi, 20–1, 25–8, 31, 32–3, 34, 35,
and love, 155
42, 57, 122, 259–61, 299–301, 306,
Prostitution, 265, 283, 285, 310
307, 310, 313, 315, 327, 331–3,
Pumwani, ‘village’, then ‘location’ in
339–41, 343, 345–53, 357–63, 383,
Nairobi, 62, 65, 69, 74–81, 83, 88, 89,
384, 386, 387
90, 92, 96
life in, 59–97, 107, 108, 116, 117
Memorial Hall, 79, 345, 357, 386
Nationalism, 5–7, 13–14
and decolonisation, 10–11, 47, 61, 95
Race, racism (see also Brains; Settlers)
in Kenya, 59, 60–1, 67, 68–70, 72
Africans’ hatred toward whites, 213,
constitutional, 3–4, 11–12
249
and ethnicity, 13–22, 51–6, 77, 79,
Africans’ delusions about, 231, 251,
96
279, 355
linguistic, 17, 26
biology and, 277, 333, 384
and memory, 6–8, 11–13, 19
and education, 219, 221, 329
Ndegwa, George Kirongothi, 259–63,
in England, 107, 110, 113, 114–15
307–08, 373
Gikuyu vocabulary for, 307, 384, 386
Ndisi, Meshack, 9
and housing, 177, 179
Njeri, Lilian, 261, 275, 309
love as solution to, 219
Njoroge, Mathayo, 132
and politics in Kenya, 3–5, 8–11, 54,
Nyamindigi and Kembu, folktale, 361–3
154–7, 297, 311, 312, 313–14, 339,
Nyanza Province Association, 273–5
369–71, 375, 383–4, 387
Nyathuna, Muoria family home, 65, 67,
Muoria’s views, 61, 96, 97, 143,
69, 74, 77, 82–5, 91, 121, 124–7
153–5, 157–61, 177–9, 183, 211,
Nyerere, Julius, 11
213, 215, 217–23, 231, 243, 248,
Nyeri, 21–2, 29, 42–3, 259, 301, 308,
249, 250, 251, 261, 267, 271,
311, 319, 351, 357, 367–71, 386
283–5, 287, 293, 297, 307–08,
335, 339, 389
Oakland, California, 81, 93–4, 96
Kenyatta’s views (see also Brains),
Okiek people, 38–9, 45
279, 281–3, 297, 308, 311, 313,
Otiende, Joseph, 34
325, 329–31, 331–5, 337, 343–5,
349, 355, 367–71, 373–9, 384,
Patel, V. G., Henry Muoria’s printer, 72
387, 389, 391
Paul, Saint, 49, 319
segregation in Kenya, 70, 285, 312,
Perception
384
and discernment,
171
unity among Africans, 275, 347
physiognomy and, 193
Railway Club, Mombasa, 273–5
Photography, 147, 149
Renan, Ernest, 6, 13–14, 18
Th
e Pilgrim’s Progress (Bunyan), 242
Planning
Sauti ya Mwafrika, 17, 18, 72
housing and, 175, 177
Settlers, white (see also, Race and
as prerequisite for progress, 145
politics in Kenya), 4–5, 8–11, 18, 28,
Plato, 47, 49
38–9, 42
Political authority, 306, 313
Shakespeare, William, 24, 27
Poverty, 169
Sheng, urban language, 91
deference and, 250, 389
Somalis in Kenya, 281–3, 312, 321,
and laziness, 175, 254
343–5, 386
index 409
South Asians in Kenya, 4, 5, 8, 10, 13,
Wars
26, 30, 33, 53, 66, 72, 179, 243
‘Boer’, 35
and Kenyatta, 279, 281–3, 297, 311,
First World War, 13, 37, 62, 65
321, 327–9, 331–5, 339, 343, 351,
Second World War, 3, 52, 69, 70, 95,
355, 377, 383
245, 247, 248
‘Squatters’, 21, 28, 306, 308
Muoria’s views, 207, 215, 223, 257
Stupidity
Wealth, 169
and photography, 149, 151
anti-social character of, 38, 193, 247
Swahili people, 52, 255, 312
and God, 137, 147, 169, 179, 203, 219,
culture, 287, 313, 307, 388
233–5
detribalisation and, 43, 52, 307, 325,
and the Muorias, 4, 5, 29, 33, 46, 48,
329, 383
96, 97
language, 17, 26–7, 51–2, 59, 76, 79,
social value of (like a broom), 4–5, 36,
85, 91, 93–4, 263, 273, 277–9, 307,
38, 46, 48–9, 227, 229, 250
311, 365, 383, 384, 385, 388
Weevil, metaphor for Christian
Sweat, 36, 37, 141, 145, 169, 243
denomination, 55, 367, 371, 390
Wisdom (or knowledge)
Th
uku, Harry, 309, 343, 385, 386, 390
agency and, 329, 331
Trade (commerce), 199, 201
domestic life and, 233
and cooperation, 48–9, 244, 351
and eating, 171
Tradition (see also Muumbi)
elders and, 242, 242
criticism of, 175, 181, 195, 233, 244,
Gikuyu defi nition of, 242
246
God and, 221
respect for, 4, 18, 23, 24, 42, 53, 54,
and housing, 229, 231
76, 80, 87, 88, 91, 115, 116, 122,
as opposed to knowledge, 242, 243,
255, 267, 273, 283, 305, 317–19,
306, 327
323, 327–31, 345, 353, 357, 371,
and photography, 149, 151
377–9
and politics, 297
Tribe (see also Ethnicity; Identity),
and self-discipline or work, 47–8,
nomenclature for, 307, 310
159
Truth, truthfulness, 37, 42, 62, 73,
‘sharpness’ and, 141, 388
111, 116–18, 120, 124, 161, 169, 187,
and tradition, 309
205–7, 246, 273, 277–9, 333, 341, 359,
varieties of, 167, 306
361, 367, 369–71, 379
‘witchdoctors’ (andu ago), 271, 310
truth that hurts, 55, 371, 377
Wokabi, Victor, 72, 243
Work
Uganda African Association, 273
agency and, 20, 22, 49, 50, 57, 173
Unity, 6, 14, 18–19, 53, 54–5, 163, 183,
and the city, 71
213, 255, 277, 279, 305, 321, 327, 341,
and God (see also, God and human
349, 377, 382
agency), 45–6, 149
soil and, 303
intellectual and political, 20, 22, 40,
Uplands Bacon Factory, strike at, 72
46–50, 105, 111, 113, 117–20
and the Muorias, 23, 33–5, 48, 60, 61,
Wacheke, Elizi, 263, 285
63, 65–7, 69, 70–2, 74–7, 78–84, 89,
Wagema, John, 263–5, 281
93, 96–7, 110–11, 113, 116
Wahu, Grace, Kenyatta’s fi rst wife, 261,
and unity, 363
265, 309–10
wage work, 28, 48–50, 52, 54, 211,
Wathiomo Mukinyu, 41
249
Watson, Cicely and Frank, 106
Document Outline
CONTENTS
List of Figures and Photographs
Preface
SECTION I LIFE Chapter 1 Henry Muoria, Public Moralist --- John Lonsdale
Chapter 2 The Muorias in Kenya: 'A very long chain'. An Essay in Family Biography --- Bodil Folke Frederiksen
Chapter 3 The Muoria Family in London—A Memory --- Wangari Muoria-Sal (with Bodil Folke Frederiksen)
SECTION II WORKS Editorial note on Henry Muoria's three political pamphlets
Chapter 4 What Should We Do, Our People?
Chapter 5 The Home Coming of Our Great Hero Jomo Kenyatta
Chapter 6 Kenyatta Is Our Reconciler
Bibliography
Index